Screw Bella!
by Casey Redbird
Summary: Jacob Black and Edward Cullen begin a relationship after the abrupt "death" of Bella Swan, and they try to get over her painful loss together. But when the Volturi return with claims of treason against the vampire clan, can the Cullens stand up to them for once and for all? Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of Stephenie Meyer's amazing characters.
1. Preface

_Prologue_

_Heartbreak_

_Jacob_

Jacob folded his muscular arms, straightened his face, and glared at Bella. He was so sick of the girl! She was breaking his heart. As she glared back at him, not even paying attention to his huge muscles and stealing an attracted glance over to Sam, Jacob thought of what an idiot Bella was. She was playing him, cheating on Edward. Jacob sighed as he thought about the fact that she was standing right in front of him and she couldn't see him, not really.

Jacob bent over and kissed Bella. It wasn't a sexual kiss, just to add insult to injury once he told her this. Then Jacob took a sharp breath, readied himself, and said in a deep, clear voice: "Screw you, Bella."

The hurt in Bella's eyes almost made him regret his decision, but he calmed himself, breathed in, breathed out, looked away, and looked back at Bella. There was anger in her eyes now. She punched him in the face (which he didn't feel at all; dumb idiot) and got into her car and drove away.

Jacob felt victory. He'd kept the suppressed feelings for Bella that he'd had since he was ten just that- suppressed. And now he'd finally told her how much he hated her. Oh, crap, he grinned, the smile making him look handsome and magnificent, I have to tweet about this!


	2. Rescued

_Chapter 2_

_Rescued_

_Edward's P. O. V._

I watched her with absolute disgust. She was running uncoordinated, tripping over every fucking thing she could see. Bella was horrid. I couldn't believe I had actually loved her, for once in my life. Her blood was enough to make a vampire kill for it- James had already taught me that. This dumb human girl had brought too much drama into my life, and I was done.

Yet part of me was enticed by the thought of kissing her… holding her… being with her again. This part of me was the straight part of me, the monster part of me, that wanted to drink and drink from her.

Yes, I was bisexual. I loved penises and abs, and boobies and vaginas. I craved spending the night with Megan Fox, not having intercourse with her at first, then deciding to. I was all that and so much more. Bella was staring at me with her eyes open, practically drooling at my muscular, sexy-ass physique. I know I'm adorable, but come on.

Bella jumped over a fountain and I was stunned that she didn't trip. Wow, I thought. Now if she could walk and chew fucking gum at the same time…

It wasn't that Bella was ugly- she was beautiful in all her own ways. But she was just too damned human for me. Our breakup had been real. I was done with her.

But I couldn't help feeling a little bittersweet jealousy at the image of her in Jacob's arms.

When Bella reached me, throwing her arms around me, I was so stunned I staggered back into the Volturi palace. Then I was musing, pretending that I didn't believe she was really here. "Oh," I said. "Carlisle was right. This must be hell, if you're here."

I saw a little pain in her eyes, but she swallowed and said, "Edward, you're not dead. I came to save you- don't you see?"

I pretended to come to life. "Bella, what the hell are you doing here? I broke up with you for a reason. I don't want you back! I can't take the smell of your blood. You're sickening. Get your ass out of here before the Volturi kills you!" I hated her, but I didn't want her to die.

"The Volturi won't kill me, Edward," she was sobbing. "I didn't come here to get back with you. I came here to save you."

I felt a little jolt of surprise.

"Well, then."

"We have to get you out of the sun," she commanded, her words mixing in with her tears. "Edward, I still love you. I know you hate me. But I still love you. I couldn't bear it if you died because losing you would be like losing part of me."

I still love you, too. Okay, I wanted to say this, but my words were stuck in my throat, and they weren't coming out any time soon. "Bella… I…" All I could do was say her name. Then, I knew. Bella and I shouldn't be together. But… I had to be with her. She had already poisoned me enough. She was like marijuana for me- addictive, but killer.

"Let's go back to Forks. Come on. Let's get back before Aro notices we're here." I carried her to the yellow car that I knew was Alice's.

All my instincts were screaming at me: What the hell? What the hell? What the hell? I didn't know why I was doing this. I didn't know what reason I had. All I knew was what I wasn't doing. I wasn't breaking up with Bella.

...

So, we went back to Forks, and I learned to love Bella's irritating dialogue, the way she had to pause and stutter every three seconds, the way she tripped over carpet, the way she nearly killed herself just walking down stairs. And I became more hating of myself and attracted to men. I'd look at them and think, *God, you're so sexy*, and then look at Bella and realize something. When I'd had Tanya, I'd had a chance. And now I had... Bella. It was like I'd gone from a Mercedes Benz to an old, broken scooter.

And Bella wasn't helping me. She'd go through these long, dumb sentences like she was in love with me. I wanted to break up with her, but every time I thought of doing this I was ridden with what felt like guilt.

I was driving the Volvo one night- pretending to hunt, to get away from Bella- and I ran into Jacob in the woods just before the boundaries of La Push.

If there was a god of vampires, I'd say ohmigod.

He looked... Sexy wasn't the word. He wore a tight black T-shirt that made his muscles bulge. His handsome face was sheen with sweat, obviously from running all the way here, and his shirt was wet too, now that I was looking at it. The jeans he wore covered his obviously hard private area. He was licking his lips. He was breathing hard... Ooh, and those eyes... They called to me...

"Edward." I heard my name and snapped out of the daze. Jacob was staring at me, too. "Hey. Did you hear what I told Bella?"

"No, what?" I couldn't believe I had the strength to speak.

"I told her 'screw her'. I told her I hated her. And that was the same day I turned bisexual. And man, you are really hot."

A choked sound escaped my throat. "Y-you are too," I whispered.

Suddenly he grabbed my wrist. "We gotta hang out sometime," he whispered. "I know it'll be wrong, you being a vampire and all, but I don't care anymore. I don't care about anything."

"Wait. What?" How did he know I was a vampire?

Something clicked inside me then. Maybe it was his eyes. "You're one of the Quileute werewolves." Oh. My. God. The Quileutes had always been seductive to me- strong, muscular, tall, protective, warriors...

"Are you bisexual, too?" The question seemed to blurt from Jacob's mouth, and he looked down at his shoes, embarrassed. But I was more than willing to answer him. "Yes."

"Well, vamp, I think we can get along just fine." And then he kissed me. And the kiss was so seductive that I opened my legs and moaned. His lips felt just right- soft and warm like Bella's had, but without the crushing scent of her blood. He was human and sexy and seductive. Jacob backed me against a tree, but it didn't hurt- I was an immortal. Jacob treated me like I was his. He knew how to get what he wanted- and I was what he wanted. Jacob kissed me like a lover.

When the kiss finished, Jacob licked his lips, flexed his muscles for me one last time, and walked away, leaving me in the middle of the woods without even a goodbye.


	3. Pain and Suffering

_Chapter 4_

_Pain and Suffering_

_Bella's P. O. V._

"No."  
>I stared down at my floor. My room had become a shell of myself. The holes were back- they'd reappeared after Edward had broken up with me. And even worse- I fought back tears as I looked down at my iPhone- through a text! And then Jacob had "screw you'd" me. I could not believe I had lost both of them. Two worlds, two possibilities- gone. Torn from my life.<p>

The pain was growing. It had been better when it had just been Edward, gone from my life. But now Jacob was gone too. He was my best friend, my sun, my safe harbor. Just... gone.

I couldn't take the pain. I felt like Atlas, holding up the weight of the sky. As I held the burden of love within my arms, I felt heavier than ever. (Those of you who have heard the song *Heavy in Your Arms* by Florence + the Machine know what I mean by that.) I couldn't deal with this.

"No," I repeated. My voice sounded strange, gravelly with disuse. "I will not tolerate the pain." My voice was strong and sharp and I thought I actually sounded normal before I crept back into sadness.

I grabbed the knife and shot it straight into my heart. Pain bore into my gut, but I ignored it, stabbing myself a second time... a third time... a fourth time... a fifth time. I sank slowly to my knees, my lifeblood pouring on the floor of my room below me. I heard Edward's voice ("Please don't do this, Bella.") and Jacob's voice ("Don't go, Bella! NO!") before I departed the world before me, and died.

(Charlie's P.O.V.)

"Bells!" I called, sighing into my pillow. No answer. For a while, I waited. I figured she was coming. Or maybe she hadn't heard me. "Bella!" I was louder and used her name this time. She still didn't respond. Bella wasn't a saint- she was grounded for leaving me for THREE DAYS and going off to save Cullen- but she didn't just ignore me. She'd never ignored me before, at least.

"Isabella Marie Swan!" I screamed, walking slowly up the stairs. "Bella! Did you wash the-" I gasped as I entered her room and saw her body sprawled on the floor. "Bella?" I reached down and cradled her broken body as I sobbed. "Bella!" She was dead. I felt her pulse and knew she was dead.

"NO!"

I felt into her pockets and pulled out her cell phone. Then I called the police, barely getting the words out as I sobbed into the floor.

_Jacob's P.O.V._

"Charlie?"

I couldn't believe what Charlie was saying. I didn't like Bella, but I didn't want her to be dead! My voice trembled as I spoke.

"Bells killed herself." His voice was thick with grief and sadness. I could tell he was crying. "Jacob, if you did something to hurt Bella-"

"I promise I didn't," I lied.

"Okay. The funeral is Saturday, at 12 p.m. Be there, please son." Charlie ended the call. I stared at my phone in disbelief.

Bella was DEAD? The girl who had been the center of my hatred because of her deep clumsy tendencies… Was dead? It didn't seem possible. Bells wasn't dead. But then what did I care if she was? I hated her… I was supposed to hate her…

"Wow," I muttered to myself. "My ex-best friend is dead."

_(Edward's P. O. V.)_

I could not decide what to wear to Bella's funeral.

I had to choose between my beige pullover and slacks, and my black and white tuxedo outfit with a red tie. I couldn't see myself wearing a pullover to Bella's funeral, so I gave and decided to wear the tux.

"You know what Esme?" I said as she came in to my room and sucked air, probably preparing to grill me about how I caused Bella's death and I shouldn't have dated her to begin with and I was breaking her heart and all that. Bull. Bella broke her own heart.

"I just wanted to say sorry for your loss, Edward." She fixed me with a glare. "You don't have to be so mean."

"Oh." Why was I acting like such a tool to the people I loved?

"It's not your fault; you are just worried." Her heart-shaped face melted back into its happy mask.

"Thank you, Esme." I grinned at her. I hadn't meant to be so dry with her. I was just pissed about Bella's death. I couldn't be sad that Bella was dead, so I had to be angry. But I wasn't mad at Esme. I could never stay mad at Esme.

She smiled again at me before leaving my room. The strange scent of apples and lavender wafted through the air. I fixed my hair once more before I followed her, my golden eyes stormy with anger and grief and loss.

_(Charlie's P. O. V.)_

As I watched Jacob enter the funeral, I sighed with relief. I was glad to see him. I was also surprised to see his handsome face set perfectly up. There were no tears like there were covering most of the people in the room- all the Swans, the Dwyers, and Higginbothams were there as well. They were crying bitterly, especially Renee. She was actually touching me, holding onto my waist.

I was crying as well. Pain shot through my stomach. My girl was dead. Bella. Bella, who I had raised for four years, let her go- which had been the most painful decision of my life- and had her come back to me for only two years, only to watch her go again.

Only last time had been different. Last time had only been a temporary goodbye; I'd had a chance to see Bella again, to be with my daughter. But this time was permanent. Bella was dead. I could never talk to her again.

Jacob sat beside me. He looked over at me and hugged me tightly. "Oh, Charlie," he whispered. "It's okay. I miss her too." As I stared into his hazel eyes I knew that he did miss Bella, as much as he acted like he didn't love her.

Edward entered the funeral.

I couldn't breathe.

My throat was full to bursting with what felt like anger. Edward? I should have figured he'd come to the funeral, considering he'd "loved" Bella, but he'd just left my daughter in the woods without even a goodbye. He was the one who'd deserved to die. I glared at him, wishing my eyes were lasers and they'd shoot straight through his heart.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I didn't normally curse, but this seemed like an exceptional occasion.

"Same as you, Charlie. Mourning Bella's death." My mouth dropped open and my eyes widened as the rest of the Cullens filed into the room as well. Carlisle smiled sadly at me. Esme looked like she wanted to cry; her face was set in lines of grief, but she wasn't crying. Rosalie and Emmett were staring down at the floor. Alice and Jasper looked sad as well.

Edward took a seat beside Jacob, filling the row, which made my brows raise in surprise. I'd thought they hated each other. I snorted. Maybe Bella's death had brought them closer together.

I watched Angela Weber's father stand before Bella's casket. I gasped, and tears began running down my face again, my throat tightening.

When he called me up to the stage, I couldn't speak. I mumbled a few words about how I'd miss Bella and I loved her, and then I sat down. It seemed like grief had taken me. I bit my lip as I sat, my face still wet with tears.

"Promise me you won't do anything crazy," Jacob was whispering in my ear as the funeral ended. "Promise, Charlie."

I promised.

Jacob and Edward left, and the air seemed to sizzle with sadness and unseen tension.

_(Jacob's P. O. V.)_

Alright, that's it.

I looked over at Edward and my rod hardened. God, he was sexy. It was like all the air went out of my lungs when I looked at his deep golden eyes and his hard, muscular body. He was so sexy and perfect that I wanted to die. Ohmigod.

"Hey, Jacob," Edward said. I smiled at him. I'd acted like I was hard and tough, but in reality I melted at the sight of the gorgeous vampire. Vampires were all beautiful in their own ways, but Edward had to be the sexiest one. He looked like a god.

I licked my lips.

"Hi, Edward. So, you want to go out?" I asked him.

"Sure!" His reply was so quick that I blushed. There was something about Edward that I hadn't seen before.

"Where do you wanna go?"

"The movies?" Edward suggested. "I have never seen a movie with anyone besides Emmett." His expression said, Not even Bella.

"Okay." I nodded. "It's a date." My toes curled and my heart seemed to melt with the amazing thought that I could finally be with him. He kissed my lips softly, and for the first time since becoming a werewolf, I felt happy.

_(Aro's P. O. V.)_

Aro breathed in, watching the clouds change above him irritatingly. As he watched Edward and the tall, muscular Indian boy walk out of the funeral home, Aro sighed. Finally. He knew he'd get her killed. And now it might be easier for me to ensnare him in his trap.

Wait. He noticed that the Indian boy was blushing, and he noticed how close he was to Edward. Suddenly he noticed the dark scent of him.

"Quileute!" he snarled. "Werewolf."

Werewolves?

No.

This could not be.

He swallowed.

Edward kissed the huge boy on his lips and walked away. The boy stood there for a minute and then walked away too, clearly sexually aroused by Edward's touch. They were together? He had not known that Edward had a preference for men.

Men and women.

White-hot anger burned through his body. This was going to come to Edward's death, one day.

One day soon.


	4. Breakin' All Da Rules

**4**

**Breakin' All Da Rules**

**_(Alice's P. O. V.)_**

Edward, blowing out a birthday cake.

Singing in the background.

"Oh, I'm about one hundred and sixteen. Great for me!"

I snapped out of my vision and ran, full speed, to Edward's room. "Edward!" I screamed, hurling myself into his arms. "Happy birthday brother!"

"Oh. It's June 20th?" Edward smiled, as if this was funny, but I was already leaving the room. I had to get him a birthday cake! Since we couldn't celebrate Bella's birthdays anymore, we had to celebrate someone's. "Planning for Edward's birthday?" Carlisle asked me, smiling, as I ran out to my car. I snorted. At least I'd gotten a Porsche out of Bella being here. Even if she WAS dead.

"Yeah," I told him just before slamming the door.

(Jasper's P. O. V.)

The air seemed to stink with the fragrance of freshly blossomed roses. But the roses didn't smell good. They stank.

"No," I whispered as I stared down at the object in my and Alice's room. "WAIT!" But it was too late.

It was time, whether I wanted it or not. It was time to act.

Time to decide.

One

I snapped my head up, searching for the presence of a person I could never see.

Two

"Wait! I don't want to do this!" I pleaded. But it was too late.

Three

It was time.

**_(Edward's P. O. V.)_**

I helped Jacob out of the car, feeling like I had to be a gentleman to him. My sexy werewolf (it felt so good to say MY sexy werewolf!) grinned at me as I opened the door for him.

"You know, I kinda like vampires. They definitely know how to take care of a guy," he said, smiling. I knew he was referring to only me, not all vampires in particular. His smile widened. "And they're sexy as fuck, too." I grinned back at him.

"I know I am, baby," I said cockily.

"Well, don't get too damn bigheaded," Jacob shot back. He then grinned to show he was kidding. I grinned back, loving that we could just talk to each other normally, and that werewolf and vampire disappeared when I was with him.

"I won't," I promised.

We headed inside the movie theater. I saw human couples tounging against the wall. My toes curled at the thought of doing that with Jacob. Courteously, he paid for the tickets and we headed in to see the movie, In Time, with the sexy Justin Timberlake. "I've always thought Justin Timberlake was amazing-looking for a human," I whispered to Jacob as we slid into our seats in the middle of the theater.

I'd never done this with Bella. Human films were so fake, so full of ridiculous carnage and stupid love that I always laughed. Then I remembered that before I'd left Bella, we had watched Romeo and Juliet. That was before I'd realized how not human I was. I missed Bella. No. I missed being in a relationship. I let the lowly thought evade me, though I wasn't sure if I was just doing it to make myself feel better.

Jacob and I were quiet as we watched the previews pass. Then the title scroll of the film finally began to play. "Humans just use movies to make money," I said, rolling my eyes. "This is so fucking stupid."

"Hell, I just like the fake blood," Jacob snickered. "Titties and blood and carnage everywhere. I'm Team Action Movie." I looked at him disapprovingly and then stared back at the movie. About an hour in, I heard Jacob snoring. I snickered, knowing he wasn't really speaking; he was just doing it to irritate the humans in the theater. "Shh," a human, sure enough, snapped at him. He laughed.

The movie ended dumbly. I rolled my eyes as the credits began to play. "Finally. That was horrible," I said, my voice rising in pitch as we exited the theater.

"Please. It was awesome. Especially the part at the end…" I listened to Jacob gush about the action as we headed into the cool night. He was just telling me about the death of a person when I silenced him with a kiss. The kiss spoke volumes. It told me that Jacob was yearning for me sexually. It told Jacob that I wanted him and I was tired of hiding behind vampire, and it also told me that Jacob was tired of hiding behind werewolf.

With a groaning moan, he kissed me deeply, beginning to remove his shirt and set free his glorious muscles. I hesitated before grazing my teeth across his ocher skin, kissing him, holding him close. We barely made it to the car before we started going at it. Jacob was hot, and I was cold, always cold. He was the fire I'd needed- the fire Bella could have never given me. I lost control of myself then, and I also lost myself in Jacob, tangling myself to him and giving him endless pleasure in a bout of passion and desire and love.

Jacob's touch burned me in a way that no other human being could. Fire seemed to encompass my body, one unbroken flame going on for ages. I kissed his broad lips as I fell into him, moaning as I came.

"Oh, Eddie, baby," he groaned, his eyes rolling back in his head. "Keep going..."

I did not stop. I continued to go inside him, feeling so damn good and so damn warm like never before.

"Come on..." I grazed my face across his huge bicep. The hardness of it sent chills of desire down my back, causing me to come again. "Ahh!" Jacob jerked in my arms, and he hardened. "Switch."

I did as he asked, falling to the seat. Jacob's warmth exploded on top of me. He went inside me, biting gingerly over my left breast. Jacob rose and fell against me hard, but his strength did not deter me.

"Shit!" I whimpered as he came inside me. The come felt so good that drool escaped my lips. He laughed lightly and kissed me, even though that didn't really help.

Jacob and I stayed like that for hours, until the car exploded in passion.

_**(Jasper's P. O. V.)**_

I gasped as the green light exploded around the room. It was Maria's ghost. She had returned from the dead. I knew she'd died in the South, but…. but how could she be back?

Her eyes were tight with anger. Jasper, she said angrily. You got me killed! I will exact centuries of angst and pain and grief on your family! And your Alice will be the first to die. "No!" I yelled at her. I closed the ball. Maria's green ghost faded.

It was time to prepare for Hell.

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	5. Death of Me

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**Chapter 5- A New Dawn**

**(Jacob's P. O. V.)**

The car was hot with sweat and desire as we pulled into the Cullen driveway. I walked inside with Edward. It was time for me to meet his family.

I tried not to think about how ironic this was.

At least it wasn't my birthday and my blood was repulsive to vampires.

We stepped into the home. The big, sexy, muscular guy who looked like he should be on the cover of Men's Health, Emmett, ran with vampiric speed up to the door and blocked my way in with a snarl.

"Edward! How dare you bring this… This DOG in our house?" Rosalie's sharp voice made me look up at her. She was growling, her perfect fangs glistening in the fluorescent lights.

Oh. My. God.

Rosalie… I'd seen my share of seductive men and sexy women, but Rosalie took the cake. Her blond hair was long and fell to ribbons on her back. She was tall and somehow muscular, but she was entirely feminine. Ohmigod. My mouth wouldn't close as I stared at her. And with her fangs bared, crouched in a defensive position, Rosalie looked dangerous. Like an ancient warrior queen.

Edward hit me. "Ouch!" I whined as he glared at me.

"Don't ogle my sister," he told me. I looked away. My pants got longer instantly.

"Really, Edward?" Alice was glaring at him. "You don't want the human, so you go to the werewolf? Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be for you?"

"How?" he objected. "Jacob is one of the exceptions to the rule. The Quileutes have known about vampires since they were born. And it's not like we have a special law against them."

I could see the indecision on their faces. Finally Esme smiled at me. "Whatever makes you happy, Edward."

Edward's face lit up with utter happiness, utter love. Apparently not caring that we were right in front of his family, he took my face in his hands and kissed me softly, his lips against mine so closely it was almost like the connection was instant between us. I kissed him back and when the kiss ended I lost myself in his arms again, welcoming desire and love and happiness and chasing away fear and anger.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Um… Edward. We have to talk."

Edward rolled his eyes, but went to talk with Carlisle outside of the Cullen abode, leaving me with six hungry vampires who looked totally pissed.  
>Oh, great.<p>

**(Edward's P. O. V.)**

"You can't think this will work," Carlisle said.

"I know it might not," I said smoothly. "But I'm prepared for that. Carlisle, what I have with Jacob… It's something different. Something new. I've never felt this way before. I think I love him, Carlisle. Can you back me up on this?"

He looked almost guilty as he looked back at me. "Okay. If you love him… We'll try it. But, Edward, you must be careful around him, even more careful than you had to be with Bella. I…" I could see Carlisle decide not to say anything.

It was then I remembered. I have a gift! Why haven't I been using it?

Carlisle was thinking, _If they had sex, Jacob will probably become half-vampire. If they didn't, If he had or has sex with Jacob… Or bites him… That could result in Jacob dying. Either he will die or turn into a half-vampire, depending on whether he had sex with him. If they had sex, and he bites him…_ Carlisle was sad.

"What will happen if I bite him?" I asked, my lips tight. I'd already had sex with Jacob. What was going to happen?

"If you bite Jacob, he will die, instantly. Vampire venom is poisonous to werewolves. They instantly die. However, if vampire sperm was put inside a werewolf before he bites the werewolf, that werewolf will change into a half-vampire."

"Oh."

"Shall we go inside?"

I nodded.

**(Jasper's P. O. V.)**

"Jasper!" Alice's soft, bell-like voice followed him down the stairs. Jasper spun around and smiled at his soulmate.

"Alice." Jasper pressed his lips to hers, tasting her. He would never forget her.

And suddenly the green must slicked out of his room. Alice's pupils dilated.

"Jasper!" she screamed. Her choked scream was muffled by the green mist. It shifted together to form the silhouette of a woman. She lunged at Alice and tore her head off. Alice wasn't dead, but she was broken.

All Jasper could do was stare in horror. Maria came alive then. She smiled horribly at Jasper. "I will claim your life very soon, Jasper." Maria left the Cullen home then.

"Carlisle!" Jasper picked up Alice's body and head. "Come quick!"

**Renee's P. O. V.**

"Ah, hell," she muttered. "Left my keys in the car." Renee dimly got up and headed to the car, grabbing her house key and locking the door.

She'd carried a cloud of grief with her since Bella had died. Without her daughter, Renee had felt a little lost- out of step. The first day had been terrible. She'd bawled for hours.

She missed Bella terribly. Her daughter would never blush again, would never laugh again, love again, live again. Why had she commuted suicide?

Renee realized she was sobbing softly to herself as she sat down on the couch. She didn't want to be sad about Bella's death. She wanted to move on. It was just- her heart ached so much.

Renee closed her mind to Bella and tried to move on. Her mind had cascaded into grief ever since Phil had left. She hadn't been hurting when he beat her- she loved him. But he'd taken it too far one night, calling her derogatory names and hitting her with his belt. Renee had decided to end it then.

Her dad had died last week, too.

And now her daughter?

Renee couldn't help the deep sobs that came not from her heart, but from her very soul. She had it so horrible that she wondered if God cared about her anymore. She sometimes considered suicide, but before she'd resisted because she had thought Bella might miss her.

Now even Bella was gone.

Renee walked around her house. She pondered whether she should read something romantic, something sexy, or a sci-fi, or a mystery. She decided upon _Destined: House of Night_ by PC Cast.

Renee settled into the couch and began reading. She was about seven pages in when she heard something.

The floorboards.

She whipped her head back, but saw no one. Huh. Maybe she was going crazy now. She looked back down at the book.

"Heh heh."

Okay, she knew she hadn't imagined that.

"Who's there?" she called.

Silence.

And then she was staring into the face of a man. The man was so startlingly beautiful that her heart leapt. His eyes, framed by perfect lashes, were a startling scarlet. His hair was a deep straw blond. He was perfectly formed and tall, and the skin that covered his muscles was bronze and perfectly smooth.

"Who are you?" Renee was scared that she sounded so calm, but her heart was nearly beating out of her chest with desire.

"You do not know me?" the man said arrogantly. He blinked. Renee thought she was going to pass out right there.

"No."

"I am Bryan. New servant to the Volturi. I am here to kill you, on orders from Aro, to shake up the Cullens."

"Cullens?" Bryan couldn't mean…

"Your daughter was mated with Edward Cullen."

"Oh."

"You did not know this?"

"I knew." Renee swallowed.

"Edward Cullen and his family are vampires."

"Vampires?"

Renee had known he wasn't wholly human. There had been something about him deeply seductive, something… Inhuman.

"You do not sound surprised by this."

"I'm not."

"Well, I guess I did not break the rules… Since I am about to kill you." Suddenly he dug incredibly sharp fingernails into her throat, drawing blood. Renee screamed.

"Ahh. You smell floral, nice. I will take pride in drinking from you." Bryan reached in and bit her neck. Renee yelled again. She felt her life slowly draining from her. Renee fought against death weakly.

"Take that, Edward Cullen…"

Renee closed her eyes.

"Yes!"

Before she joined Bells in heaven, Renee grabbed the vampire's neck and whispered:

"Go to hell."


	6. A Vampire's Thanksgiving

Chapter 10- A Vampire's Thanksgiving

(I hope you guys like this one!)

(Jacob's P. O. V.)

"So are you gonna be with... Him tonight?" Embry's voice was more than just sarcastic. It was angry. He wasn't happy that I was dating a vampire.

Quil was all for what made me happy.

Sometimes I thought that I liked Quil better.

"Did you... Imprint on him?" Quil asked me.

"No."

And suddenly a darkness was tearing through me. If I hadn't imprinted on Bella, and I hadn't yet imprinted on Edward... Then...

"Maybe the rules are different with gay werewolves." Embry shrugged. The derogatory term hurt me more than I showed. I glared at him. "I'm not fucking gay. I'm bisexual."

Embry laughed. "Fucking gay is fucking gay."

A fire of rage sifted through me and I was shivering, shivering...

"Calm the hell down, Jacob." Sam's voice was firm and quiet. "Embry- stop picking on Jacob's sexuality."

Embry pressed his lips together to fight a smile, but nodded.

"So tomorrow's Thanksgiving. Are you going to be with the... Cullens tomorrow? Or are you going to be with us?"

I made a face. Sam was supposed to be flexible.

"The Cullens are probably not even fucking celebrating Thanksgiving."

Quil snorted.

"But... No." I had been too wrapped up in Edward lately. I wasn't going to become like Bella- some obsessed stalker who could barely walk without tripping over carpet. Carpet! The girl could trip over carpet.

"Good, 'cause Emily is gonna make a whole damn household of food. Probably two."

I smiled.

_(Edward's P. O. V.) (A day later)_

My lips twitched, fighting a grin.

"Really, Alice? You're taking us to hunt turkeys because it's Thanksgiving?" Rosalie snorted.

"Yes, Rose. I feel like we can participate more in the human world since we had Bella." Was I imagining, or did she shoot me a dirty look? "So I think that we should hunt turkeys tonight, yes."

"There's not even enough of them in Washington to fill us up." Emmett was guffawing still.

"Yes there is." Alice's voice was smug. "I found a website showing a turkey website on my iPhone. Humans are becoming really advanced."

I tried not to feel the stab of pain at the word humans.

"Can we leave now?" Jasper said suddenly.

"Sure." Surprise colored Alice's voice.

"Yes, we should." Carlisle was smiling. "I believe the place will close in an hour."

Esme smiled, but her grin wasn't out of hilarity- it was out of kindness.

We headed down to the turkey farm. I was still fighting a smile. The idea of celebrating Thanksgiving was ridiculously funny.

"Ooh, there they are." Alice frowned. "They don't smell that nice."

"Fowls don't appeal to vampires as much." Emmett was grimacing.

"Okay, can we just get this over with?" Jasper seemed on edge today. I read his mind. I really didn't like reading the minds of people, but I had to.

Jasper was thinking: I have to find a way to stop Mar- He seemed to realize I was listening and stopped thinking that. He then began remembering how to shoot a gun.

"Jasper." My voice was soft and quiet, but all of my family heard it.

"Can we talk about it later?" he pleaded.

I stared at him.

"Sure," I finally muttered.

We ate the turkeys. No one was laughing anymore, because of the unease Jasper had created. We then headed back to the house.

Jasper would tell me.

_(Maria's P. O. V.)_

Sighing quietly to herself, Maria watched the Cullen family enter their home, unaware that she was there. Maria felt a disquieting sense of irritation. She did not like to play games. She wanted Jasper and his... His MATE dead, right now.

She sneered as she remembered the Alice girl, petite for even a vampire, but with the same lithe, graceful movements as an immortal.

She also remembered feeling jealous.

She still wanted Jasper.

Maria frowned at the hyperbole. If Jasper hadn't left her, she wouldn't be in this predicament. She'd used the ancient magic of vampirism, the magic most vampires didn't know of, to bring herself back, but she still regretted it. She'd been peaceful in death- happier. There was an afterlife for immortals after all- a small little island called Avalon, a piece of forever.

Maria had come back after 60 years of anger. She'd wanted Jasper. But when she'd seen he was with Alice- that had set her into her rage.

The thing was, the Cullens were only the first step in reclaiming her status in the South. One of them was to be used as a sacrifice. It was a sacrifice where one would have to die.

Maria smiled.

It was Edward Cullen.

Thank you guys so much for reading this! I'd be nothing without you.

Sorry on the sacrifice, but I promise I will use your choices. Something is going to go wrong at the end of the story.

I have a poll for you before I go! If you were to choose an ending for Edward and Jacob, it would be that:

A) They break up.  
>B) Edward kills Jacob.<br>C) Edward turns Jacob into a half-vampire.  
>D) Jacob imprints on Edward.<p>

Thank you!


	7. The Last Times

**7**

**The Last Times**

_(Jacob's P. O. V.)_

As soon as I laid eyes on Edward when I left my house the day after Thanksgiving dinner (which was awesome, by the way) I felt energized, like I was a new person. I understood what Bella'd said about Edward being like a drug for her. I thought I was falling in love with him. He was my sun, my life, and it seemed like I was with this vampire more than I was with my friends.

My feelings for vampires had not changed- they still disgusted me and made me feel like I was gonna throw up all over the place. But my feelings for the Cullens had changed. They were the only good vampires in the world possibly.

Edward and I went on our second date that night. This time we went to the beach. The treaty had been calmed to allow vampires to come into La Push- well, to allow the Cullens into La Push. So we were at the First Beach, by (ironically) the tree where Bella and I'd often sat. We stared into the water, watching the red ball of sun slither down into the clouds. I shivered, though it wasn't cold.

"Jacob?" Edward's soft, musical voice jarred me from my thoughts. "You okay?"

I felt a disquieting sense of relief- that Edward was there with me. "Yeah, I'm fine, because you're here. I'll always be fine with you around."

Edward laughed softly. "You know, Jacob, I think you might just be my soulmate," he said.

"Aren't I the one who determines that? Aren't I supposed to be imprinting on YOU?" I shot back.

He smiled. "How does that work?"

"When... When I find... her or him... it's like my body isn't tied to the world anymore. It's tied to them. True love. But I'd be whatever... they wanted me to be."

Pain shot through Edward's ocher eyes. "You haven't imprinted on me."

"No. But that doesn't mean anything. It doesn't have to happen the first time I see you. I would've imprinted on Bella a long time ago if that was true."

He nodded. "Right. But she was wrong for both of us."

We laughed. The laugh shook both of our bodies, making the connection between us strengthen.

Edward kissed my lips- hot and cold, fire and ice, mixed together. And for fire, ice was actually good. The cold heat of Edward's touch sent shivers of distilled delight down my burning spine. I kissed him back, marveling in the polished, granite shape of his lips, and the wonder of the world around me.

Edward and I could never have a child. We'd never have to worry about some mutated half-vampire baby. We'd never have to worry about any sexual diseases, because both of our bodies were clean. As I kissed Edward, I began to remove my clothes, not minding the cold- I could never mind the cold.

Edward kissed back and when our lips parted, he began to remove his own clothes. He pulled off his shirt, revealing his perfect musculature. I removed my own. We began to make love. And in that moment I truly realized my love for Edward. I'd fallen in love with him- the wolf in love with the eagle.

And that was the moment I, Jacob Black, imprinted on he, Edward Cullen. That was also the moment our bodies tangled together and we began to go in a combination of life and love.

_(Maria's P. O. V.)_

Maria steadied herself as she looked at Riley, the newborn she'd created to destroy the Cullens. He was very in control of himself- he'd never tasted the blood of a human, and he could push up her recruits anyway. Maria was certain her army, combined by the newborn army she had in Olympia, would destroy the Cullens.

Maria blinked. She realized she didn't want ALL the Cullens dead- just Jasper and Alice. But Carlisle would avenge his children, and Esme would side with him. To protect Carlisle, Rosalie, Emmett and Edward would do anything, so she had to exterminate the whole coven, even though they'd done nothing.

The Volturi might kill her...

But then again, it wasn't against vampire law to destroy a vampire coven- if you had good reason. Maria's reason was revenge and she knew the Volturi would leave her be, because of the grudge they'd held against the Cullens for the human girl- Bella.

Riley said, "Do you need anything?"

Maria smiled. "Yes, Riley. Go create thirteen more newborns. Have it done by Sunday. Once they're reborn, come with me to Seattle, where we will reach Forks. I've planned for the battle to take place next Saturday, in the woods, in a special clearing."

"Yes, ma'am." Riley saluted to her and walked away.

Maria watched him walk. "And most of you will die. But I don't care..." she smiled. "As long as I get my revenge."

_(Alice's P. O. V.)_

"Jazz," Alice said. Jasper looked up at her. The burning agony in his eyes made Alice wary, but she continued, speaking quickly in her pixielike voice.

"What happened? What did Maria tell you? I just saw..."

Alice recalled the vision. She remembered burning, death and destruction. And her Jasper had been the first to die. Then she'd died slowly. After that it'd been the rest of her family.

She shivered delicately as she remembered Maria's terrible laugh.

"Maria's back from the dead," Jazz said. "I don't know how- I think she used the ancient magic of vampires. But she's back. And she's out to kill us."

Alice saw another vision- in which Bella was still alive. She saw not Maria but Victoria at the head of the army.

"Bella would've brought this on anyway," she said, looking away from Jazz. "It's not your fault. It would've been Victoria, but we still would have had to fight."

"But the chances are far greater of us all dying. Maria is skilled far beyond Victoria. If her army is still together- and there were about thirty of them- we're doomed. They're certainly trained. These killings are more... secretive than they would've been with new newborns."

"I know." Alice heard the edge in her voice. She met Jasper's unflinching gaze. "I've got to warn Carlisle."

Alice and Jasper headed inside the house...

_(Edward's P. O. V.)_

"Carlisle?" I heard Alice's small voice calling my father's name.

"Carlisle?" I said, coming down the stairs.

"Or you, Edward," she said. "It doesn't matter..."

I read her mind. She was thinking, Maria has arisen from the dead. She's coming for Jasper and I. With newborns. Lots of them.

Jasper was thinking, Edward... Please don't make this bigger than it is. I don't want to lose Alice. I'll dispose of Maria and try to stop her army, and if I die, I die.

"No, Jasper!" I was angry now. "You'd never win. You can't do that."

"What choice do I have?" His voice was desperate, begging.

And that brought the inspiration like a lightbulb. "I'll ask Jacob if the wolves can side with us. If they help us... we might have a chance."

"Yes!" Alice hissed.

She was seeing a vision in which we had a fair chance of stopping Maria. But two of us still died. I couldn't tell which ones.

"No," I whispered. I looked at Alice. "We can do this, but you have to be aware that some of us might not make it through."

"I know." She was staring at Jasper now. "But I'd rather risk my life than lose someone else's."

I called Jacob.

"Jake? We need your help."

**Thanks to all my fans, the incredible support you give me to write each chapter.**

**I have some new information for you guys. There will be at least 10 more chapters. This isn't a standalone book- it's a trilogy. Book 2 will be about the Volturi coming to kill Jacob and end him. You'll see why soon. There will be an epilogue to SCREW BELLA, and it will be from either Aro's, Caius's, Jane's, Felix's, or Marcus's point of view- I haven't really decided yet. Book 3- well, I can't tell you.**

**Book 2 is set to be called 'Screw Bella: The Hybrid.' Book 3 is called 'Screw Bella: The Final Chapter.'**

**Also, an update for If It Were You is long due, and I promise it's coming soon!**

**I promise you.**

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	8. An Immortal's Return

_**Chapter 8**_

_**An Immortal's Return**_

_(Bella's P. O. V.)_

Forever in heaven, stretching on, and on, and on. A breath on the eternal lips of the universe. Death, its red glow beautifully seductive yet dangerous. Life, it's green glow ethereally wise and peaceful.

I sit at the judgement of the gods. They smile at me. "Isabella, we are not ready to include you in our life. You are a heroine, one who deserves paradise. We give you back to your body as an immortal!"

I feel flashing around me. "What? I-" I wail in my squeaky dead-person face. But before I can protest the gods' decision, I am hurled up, up, up... into total darkness.

Burning. The first thing I feel is an intense burning. "Ahhhhhh!" I scream. "Help me! Please, someone help me!"

Agony, fire, burning for hours. Please, please help me.

Please, please help me.

...

I opened my eyes to another darkness, shadowed by light. I swallowed. The eerie light made me nervous. I sat up, pushing against the blackness, and was pulled into another light, less seductive and more harsh.

"Bella!" I heard Edward's voice. Then Jacob's. Then their presences shattered and I felt them disappear.

Why did my throat burn? What the hell was wrong with me? As I stood, I realized my skin was much paler than before I had died. Was I still dead? My mind was screaming, What the hell? What the hell? WHAT THE HELL?

Why was I so... thirsty?

_(Edward's P. O. V)_

I felt the terrible shock of the infilling of a spirit glide around me. As I talked to Jacob, I heard him whisper, "Bella?"

I repeated him.

"No. There's no way a human can come back from the dead. Period," I said.

"Okay." His voice was wary, cautious.

I realized I wanted it to be Bella- I wanted to see her face again, for her not to be dead anymore. I still loved Jacob- my feelings for him hadn't changed at all- and he'd imprinted on me. I couldn't be with Bella.

But I at least wanted to see that she was alive again, to smell the scent of her brown hair, to see the blush in her cheeks once more, to hear her laughter, soft and sweet. And yes- to smell the floral scent of her crimson blood.

Ah, hell.

_(Bella's P. O. V.)_

I coughed.

What was wrong with me? Why was I so thirsty? Parched. My throat was parched. Dry to the bone. It felt like I hadn't had a drink in years. But I knew what I wanted wasn't a cold glass of Root Beer.

I wanted blood.

The desire threw me off guard. Why'd I want blood? I wasn't a vampire. Was I? But the gods had said that I had to come back as an immortal, because it was the only way. So was I truly an immortal?

I didn't feel like a vampire. Sure, I was thirsty for blood, but I felt human still. I felt my heart beating under my chest. I felt my cheeks red with a deep flush. What was I? Some kind of vampire-human mix?

I felt the deep rightness of my thought down in my gut. Okay, so I'm half-human, half-vampire. So what? It wasn't going to make a difference. Edward and Jacob had already showed that they didn't want me, and I'd killed myself because of it. But then again, they could still have feelings for me. I'd seen the flash of deep pain in Jacob's eyes when he'd said "screw you".

"We're all just freaks, aren't we?" I said to the night. "Annoying, unattractive freaks."

_(Edward's P. O. V.)_

Whatever feeling I had increased as the day went on. I needed some blood to take my mind off of the strange, almost intuitive feeling that had seeped into my gut. I looked at Alice. She was thinking hard. *Bella's back, Bella's back, Bella's back, Edward!*

"What? How?" I cried. Jacob looked at me.

"She was brought back by the gods. They gave her a half-human, half-vampire body because that was the only way she could come back." Alice wiped her face; if she hadn't been frozen forever it might've been sweat running down her face. "And she's on her way here."

Carlisle thundered into the room. "Edward? Alice? Jacob? What's going on?"

"Alice thinks she saw a vision... no. Alice did see a vision of Bella. Alive. Coming. Here." I was still a little shocked by the words, but I managed to describe the situation to Carlisle without panicking.

"How long ago did Bella die?" Carlisle asked calmly.

"Um... about two weeks ago," Jacob said.

"Then I see that what you're saying is true." Carlisle's golden, handsome face looked thoughtful. "Well, we will welcome Bella into our care. We are the only vampires she knows; we can help her out."

I nodded, but I couldn't help but feel the slightest tinge of pain.

Three raps on the door, hard.

I opened it.

"Bella."

_(Bella's P. O. V.)_

Edward's face was just as beautiful as it had been before I'd died. There was a... darkness inside him now. Like he'd been crippled by my death. His eyes were ridden with sadness... I wanted to comfort him, but I knew that I could never do that again- could never be with Edward again.

"Uh... hey." I smiled at him. "I woke up today as half-human, half-vampire. I need to stay with you until I get... together."

"That's fine," he said through his teeth. "Carlisle? Do we have an extra room for Bella?"

I couldn't help feeling the ghost of the hole roll through me.

"Sure." Carlisle smiled. "There's an extra room up..."

"Oh, come ON," Jacob said. He shoved himself into the space between Edward and I. "Bells? You're back?"

"Yes, Jacob," I said politely.

"What?" He asked. Then he seemed to remember that he'd told me "screw you". He exhaled. "Bella, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I..." He took in my body. "I'm so sorry," he repeated.

"That's okay," I said, accepting his offered hug. Then I noticed he stood really close to Edward. They... They were giving each other googly eyes.

"Guys?" I said.

They looked at me. "Um..." Edward seemed confused. "Bella, we have something to tell you." He hugged Jacob and kissed his lips tenderly. "Jacob and I are bisexual. And we're dating."

I stared at him. All I could do was stare. And stare. And stare some more. And a little more. Without saying anything.

"You're gay, Edward?" I finally said through lips that felt ice cold and numb. My voice was sharp.

"Bisexual," he said firmly.

"You're bi, too, Jacob?" I said even more sharply.

"Yep," he said.

"What. The. HELL!" I screamed. "Why didn't you guys tell me? I would've understood!"

"So you don't care that we're dating?" Edward said, his eyes wide with surprise.

"No," I said quietly. "That's your choice. You guys don't love me, so I can't be mad. I don't have to stay here. I can just go to the Volturi. Maybe they'll help me. After all, they ARE supposed to be the good guys."

"No!" he yelled. "I will not let you hurt yourself, Bella."

"Why?" I asked, surprised. I wasn't usually so cross, but I had good reason. "If we're not dating, why do you even give a crap about me?"

He stifled a smile. "Bella, I told you we were connected. I meant that. I do love Jacob now, and I won't end our relationship to appease you. But I will be a protector, a brother, for you. A best friend."

"Really?" I was blinking hard and fast to hold back the tears I felt. (WTH? I could cry?)

"Really." Edward wrapped his muscular arms around me, and I tried to ignore the desire I felt for him at his ice-cold touch (strange that he still felt cold to me). He grinned down at me and I almost felt normal, well, normal enough, like the days before I'd irreparably damaged him and hurt his heart.

I turned to Jacob, for the first time being the one to break our embrace. "What about you, Jake?" I said. "Do you hate me, really?"

"Bells, what I said that day was because I was irritated at you, 'cause you wouldn't kiss me like I wanted you too." He rolled his eyes. "You know me. When I say something I don't mean it. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, though. Best friends?" He childishly held his hand out to me.

"Best friends." I threw my arms around him, so glad that Edward and Jacob had not given up on me.

"Isn't this beautiful?" snapped Rosalie as she entered the room. "I see-" Her voice stopped as she scented me, picking up the vampire scent, I was sure. The strange thing about me was that I felt my heart beating, though Alice had told me that a vampire was frozen...

"Am I half human?" I blurted.

"I think you may be," Carlisle said. "This is highly unusual, so I don't know, but I do smell human blood within you. Your heart is beating, and your cheeks are colored. I imagine you could blush if you were embarrassed."

Seemingly flaunting my humanity, I felt my cheeks get hot and knew I was blushing. Edward flashed a grin.

"Yay! You're not completely a bloodsucker!" Jacob exclaimed. Then it looked like HE was blushing. "Um... No offense, guys."

"None taken," Carlisle, Edward, Alice (who had just entered the room), Rosalie and I said together. We all looked at each other and laughed. It felt so good to finally be back in the Cullen clan again.

"Oh, my gosh!" Alice wailed. "Do you guys know what time of year it is?"

"Today is December 25... Oh, great," Rosalie moaned.

"Christmas? Well, I know it's here, but..." Jacob's dark eyes went to Alice. "Oh, my God."

I suddenly understood what they meant. "Alice, please do not make this a bigger deal than it is," I groaned.

"But Bella! It's Christmas! We've always made a big deal out of it." She put up a hand to stop my protesting tirade. "Please?" she begged.

I looked at her.

"Please? Pretty please, with cherries on top? Or better yet, gingerbread cookies and stars?" she said.

"Fine," I murmured.

"Sure," Edward and Jacob said together.

"Alright," Rose said. She was still staring at me.

"OK," Carlisle said. "You know you have Esme's vote."

"Yaaay!" Alice yelled.

"Hey, where's Emmett and Jasper?" I asked.

"Em is hunting. Jazz is in our... Room."

I wondered what Jasper was doing. And then I was listening as Alice babbled about how many presents she was going to get me...

_(Jasper's P. O. V.)_

A sigh escaped him. He knew Maria would be here by next Saturday.

He took the charm and carried it downstairs.

"Hey, Bella!" Jasper grinned at her. He actually felt relieved that Bella, half-vampired, was back. But the strange, sudden euphoria and fatigue he felt suddenly faded.

"Maria's coming in three days," he blurted.

"Maria? Who's Maria?" Bella's eyes were wide.

"Maria is the woman who Jasper spent several years of his life with, back when he was a newborn," Edward said.

Jasper told Bella his story. When he was finished, Bella's eyes were still wide, but she looked less confused. "So Maria's coming with a newborn army just to kill all of us?"

"Yes," Alice said. "I've seen it. Actually, she should be here in about three days, twelve hours, six minutes, and... forty seconds."

Jasper rolled his eyes, smiling. "We didn't need an exact estimation, Alice," he said.

"I gave one," Alice teased.

He loved that he could still laugh and joke and be happy with his family. Unfortunately, he couldn't be happy for too long, because Alice then said sharply, "Don't think I've forgotten about your Christmas promises."

They all groaned.

Thank you to everyone who reads this. I promise, Bella's part in this story is much stronger. All Bella-haters, I promise you'll like MY Bella. She is a vampire now, to confirm your suspicions- well, she's sort of vampiric (you'll see what I mean next chapter). That was the only way Bella could come back, as what she is. She is much stronger now, and her gift is the shield she was given in Breaking Dawn.

PLEASE DON'T STOP READING BECAUSE BELLA'S BACK! She plays a big part in the storyline. I promise she won't break Edward and Jacob up. In the sequels, she'll be a smaller character.

I don't really have anything else to say today accept that I LOVE YOU GUYS. Totally. I accept you as my fans. Thank you thank you thank you for the support! I heart you!

XOXO,

Casey


	9. Prom

(Jacob's P. O. V.)

"What?" I half-shrieked. "You want me to go to prom with you? Edward, I can't dance! Other than the Cupid Shuffle, which I barely know how to do."

"Please, Jacob." His eyes blazed. "And who says you have to dance? I'll lead." He grinned the crooked grin I loved so much.

"Oh, alright," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "But I am so not wearing a tux."

"You don't have to," he said. "You can go in normal clothes if you want." But I saw the pouty look in those golden eyes that made him look so cute. He was so tall and handsome that I could barely breathe. Oh, my god.

"Okay," I heard myself breathe. "I'll wear a damn tux."

Edward laughed.

"You gotta stop dazzling people," I told him, frowning, trying to keep my gaze on his chest instead of his eyes- which wasn't at all a hard thing to do.

"I dazzle people? More importantly, I dazzle you?" Edward mused. "Oh. I didn't know I had such a strong affect on you, Jacob."

"Well, you do," I said.

"I do." He smiled. "Alice, can you order a tux for Jacob and I? I can just use mine from last year." I knew he meant the prom he'd attended with Bella.

"Sure," Alice beamed. "Tuxedos and dresses are my specialty. I'm just gonna assume you mean for prom?"

She knew, but she was fighting a smile.

"Yeah, he does," I said. "And I'm going with him."

"You two are going to prom together?" Rosalie shrieked. I turned to see she and Bella standing at the stairs. Bella's eyes were full of pain, but she was smiling. Rosalie's eyes shined with humor. "Really? Really."

I hated Rosalie. I knew the real reason she was laughing was because Bella was in pain. Always in pain because of me and Edward. The powers that be or whoever had sent Bella back were cruel. They'd given her life, but at what price?

At what price?

(Edward's P. O. V.)

I helped Jacob out of the car. He was looking dashingly handsome in his suit, black tie, which Alice had gotten for him. He was staring at me, so apparently I looked the same. I didn't care about how I looked.

Jacob was... perfect. There was a sense of reneging in our imprint. He had to protect me at all costs, even though I knew how to take care of myself. But I could read Jacob's mind even better now. I knew his every thought, every secret. The connection went both ways. I was Bound to my werewolf, as he was to me.

But an imprint with Jacob ripped me from Bella in so many ways that I hadn't thought of before. We hadn't yet told her- we'd thought it best to wait until after the fight. Just to give Bella strength so she wouldn't be so sad she couldn't help us in the fight.

But as I stared into her eyes now, I wondered if that had been the best decision.

Bella and I were walking closely. Jacob was in the middle. I was glad that the huge, muscular werewolf was putting distance between my ex-girlfriend and I. I could barely look at her.

Because when I looked at Bella I saw many emotions. I saw a porcelain, beautiful girl who was trying to find her place in the large, complex world of vampires. I saw a gorgeous human who was marked by her beauty, blood so sweet and seductive pumping through her body that it choked me up. I saw a sexy vampire seductress, tall and lithe, with those piercing red eyes, ready to live forever. And I saw the hybrid who would always live in pain because of my decision. I felt a wild burst of desire for Bella. I know it's stupid, but I couldn't help myself. I slid my hand into hers, leaned in...

"Edward!" Jacob's voice was so strong and sharp that I instantly dropped Bella's hand like she'd burned me and turned to face him. "What the hell?"

"I'm s-sorry, I got lost in the moment..." I heard the loud music blasting from the gym, but even it could not cover up Bella's agonized cry. I spun to face her. She was crying, totally defeated. I could hear the racing beat of her heart.

"Edward, Jacob's right! What the hell? What the hell are you doing? You broke my heart- seared my soul- and now you call yourself trying to plant a kiss on my lips?" Bella yelled. She looked like a goddess, filled with hatred and anger and grief. "I don't want this, Edward! I'm leaving!" She ran into the woods.

I looked at Jacob. His face was contorted in pain. But I saw the same admirable strength and kindness in his eyes that had made me choose him from the start. "Go," he whispered. "Go now."

I went.

I ran after Bella as fast as I could- and I mean literally. I found her sitting in our meadow. Flowers surrounded her, making her look like some ancient artist's portrait. "Bella!" I sobbed. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" she growled. "Being with Jacob? Breaking my heart?"

"Both." I hated that my body instantly responded to her sadness without me telling it to, moving closer to her and wiping the sparkling tears from her eyes. "I can't live without Jacob, but I can't live without you, either. But if you want to leave..." Pain entered my heart.

I loved JACOB! Why was it so hard for me to say goodbye to Bella?

Because I loved her too.

I'd always loved her. When I'd rescued her from Volterra I'd loved her. It hadn't mattered that I was irritated with her. I had saved her because I'd known that if I didn't get her out of the city, she'd be drained dry before morning. And I could not let Bella die. When Bella HAD died, a part of my soul had shattered. Now that she was back, she was slowly, piece by piece, breaking it again.

Bella stood and moved closer to me. I stood too.

"Prove it," she shot at me. "If you love me so bad, then prove it. I want you to prove it."

I took her face in my hands. I looked at the agonizing pain in her eyes and kissed her. The kiss was nothing I'd ever experienced. It was suffused with pain, as well as a hint of joy, and fatigue. The kiss also made my head spin with desire. I kissed her with everything in me, combining blood for blood, heart for heart, and love for love, and she kissed back. In my mind I saw Jacob's face, and from the terrifying twist within my soul I knew that he had phased out of agony, and pain.

Just before I ended the kiss, I saw our whole future, laid out before us. Married, as two vampires, with a beautiful family who loved us. We'd moved in the vision, to somewhere cold, where there were plenty of penguins. But the future I had with Jacob was much stronger. I was utterly _right_ for Jacob, as he had imprinted on me.

The kiss ended. I wiped Bella's lipstick off my lips and looked into her eyes, not saying a word. She was silent for a moment, and then she broke the silence by saying, "Make your choice, Edward, Right now. All I needed was to know that you still cared for me." She smiled sadly. "i won't be jealous anymore."

I thought about it for a moment. I loved Jacob, but I loved Bella. I knew that if I chose one, the other would be hurt beyond repair. But I knew exactly who I wanted to be with. The answer was a breath on my lips; I felt the euphoria of the person and knew I was right.

"I choose Jacob," I said, smiling sadly. "Bella, I love you, but he's the one I want to be with." I kissed her still-smiling lips once more, and broke away just as Alice and Jasper entered the clearing and Jasper's deep voice shattered the night.

"Maria's here!"

**Thank you all for supporting me and being there when I need you.**

**Next chapter should be called "Battle". You will find out who the sacrifice is in this chapter. It's actually not Edward- Maria was wrong.**

**I have a question: Why do you think Edward picked Jacob? Did you want him to?**

**Thank you!**

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	10. Battle

**10. Battle.**

_Jasper_

Jasper had dreaded this moment since Maria had materialized and appeared to him three weeks ago. He'd been dead set against anything that would hurt his Alice- and most of the Cullens' plans had circled around one of them dying. Now Jasper was terrified for his life, because he knew deep down in his soul that Maria was here.

He continued to dance with Alice, but she wasn't stupid. She felt the tension in his body and looked up at him with honest, open eyes. "What's wrong, Jazz?" Alice demanded, and then she went rigid. He knew she was having a vision.

Surprisingly this one only lasted for a couple of minutes, and then Alice blinked. "Maria," she whispered, her voice choked with horror.

"Yes."

Alice tugged Jasper out of the gym and into the woods. They both ran with vampiric speed to the clearing Alice had seen in her vision. Bella and Edward were there. Jacob was close behind Jasper, in wolf form, along with the rest of the wolves.

"Maria's here!" Jasper shouted at the top of his lungs. Bella and Edward looked over, their smiles fading. "What?" Edward cried. Then he read Alice's mind. "Oh."

"Yes. She'll be here in about five minutes," Alice said loudly. "I can hear her and her army coming."

Jasper could hear it too. It was certainly loud enough. They were going slowly. Slowly enough for Jasper to get his family ready.

Rosalie, Esme, Carlisle and Emmett thundered into the clearing. "We heard," Carlisle said, looking sharply at Alice. "We came."

"Thank you," Alice breathed.

Jasper looked at Jacob. He wondered if the young werewolf had known before he'd told him that Maria was coming. He'd phased and called the pack to him so quickly, and so wisely. Jasper was warming to Jacob.

Jacob phased and ran to Edward, kissing him in front of everyone, not caring that the Cullens and the werewolves were watching. "You chose," he breathed softly.

"He picked you," Bella said, her eyes shining.

"I know." Jacob smiled lovingly at Edward. "I know."

"Three minutes," Alice said.

Jasper looked at her. He wondered if she was trying not to yell at everyone. He sensed her anger and fear, but didn't know exactly who it was directed at.

Alice brushed a strand of hair out of her porcelain face, then gasped. "They've sped up. They should be here in one minute, now, at the pace they're going. Maria got angry. She's..." Alice's eyes widened. "Charlotte," she choked.

"Charlotte?" Jasper spoke through lips that felt cold and numb. "Who is Charlotte?"

"She's CHARLOTTE, Peter's Charlotte. She was killed and reincarnated. She's now on the side of evil. She's working with Maria."

"No! She..." CHARLOTTE?! Charlotte? He couldn't kill Charlotte. He'd always liked the tiny vampire- she'd been a fine companion when he'd lived with Peter.

"But weren't Peter and Charlotte already evil?" Rosalie asked. Jasper and Edward shook their heads at the same time. "There's a difference between drinking blood and fighting for blood," Edward said. "Maria was evil. Peter and Charlotte were good."

"Where's Peter, Alice?" Jasper said.

"I'm not seeing him," she replied. "Ten seconds..."

They waited as the last seconds passed. Jacob, Edward and Bella looked at each other adoringly. Emmett stood protectively in front of Rosalie. Jasper kissed Alice, his Alice, on the forehead and put his arm around her. All the werewolves formed a ring around the Cullens. Carlisle and Esme kissed quickly but passionately.

Maria emerged first.

She'd always been beautiful, but now she seemed to radiate with beauty and health and strength. Her figure was tall, lithe and graceful, and her shoulders were squared and her jaw was set. Her eyes were filled with amusement. Her strong Mexican-featured face was as beautiful as always. Her long black hair was combed out, billowing like a dark curtain on her head.

Charlotte and the rest of the newborns came next. Her hair was blond, and her eyes were a dark red. She gasped as she looked at Jasper but didn't say a word. Jasper counted about thirty newborns. There were about sixteen werewolves, counting Jacob, and about eight Cullens, including Bella. We were outnumbered by eight. But that was okay. One of them could take at least three down at a time.

Maria was glaring at Alice. She hadn't yet looked at him, but Jasper was glaring at her. He was sick of the pain she was bringing on his family- for no apparent reason. "Why?" he yelled across the field. "Why the hell are you doing this?"

Maria's laugh was horrible. "Jasper, dear, I am doing this simply because you left me. You made my service come crashing down. Without anyone to control my newborns, they left me. Some of them turned against me." Anger exploded in her eyes. She wanted so badly to kill Alice, to hurt him... but she wouldn't kill him.

"I have come here to kill," Charlotte said. Her red eyes pierced into his. She looked immensely confused and scared. Jasper saw her mouth, "I know him..."

She remembered him. That was all he needed. "Charlotte!" he yelled. "Remember me? I'm Jasper." He saw her body jerk as if in shock. "Remember Peter? He's your mate. He loves you and misses you, honey. Go back to him."

He watched her eyes shift and lighten. "Peter..." she said dreamily as if in a trance. Then they darkened again. "No!" she screamed. "I serve my Mistress, and my Mistress only."

He saw Maria's victorious smile. This was exactly what she'd wanted. She hadn't just come here to kill Alice. She wanted him dead too. He'd been wrong, oh so wrong about Maria. She wanted his whole family dead.

He locked eyes with Alice and slid his hand into hers. Then he placed a kiss on her lips that was so full of desire and passion he heard Maria hiss. He turned to her. "Let's go! I'm getting kinda tired of you," he yelled.

"GO!" Maria cried, and the night exploded.

_Edward_

I lunged at the first newborn I saw. She was a brunette, tall, recently changed. I killed her instantly. I was killing madly. Carlisle and I double-teamed two newborn boys who charged at Bella.

I saw Bella fighting and was extremely worried about her, but I knew beyond any doubt that she could take care of herself.

The werewolves were killing like mad, too. We were winning, it looked like so far. About twelve of the newborns were already dead, mostly by the hand of the werewolves. I saw Emmett smash a newborn's head to a pulp, and Rosalie behead two newborns by simply twisting.

"Edward!" Maria's voice called me to her. Jacob was in wolf form, but he switched back to human and followed me as I followed Maria, trance-like, into a deeper part of the forest- our meadow. Bella was behind us, as well as Jasper and Alice. I thought Carlisle, Esme, Emmett and Rosalie, as well as Sam and the pack, could handle the remaining wolves. Charlotte was close behind Maria. She kept stealing guilty glances at Jasper.

We stood in the center of the clearing.

"O-si-gn-yi-ya! O great Powers, tell me who thee sacrifice be!" Maria yelled into the heavens. A green light cascaded into her hands and a picture of Bella appeared among it. "No..." Jasper whispered.

Maria grinned crookedly at Bella. "You are the only one here who has blood that combines vampirism and humanity. You are my sacrifice, not Edward." Maria looked at Charlotte. "Charlotte, I command you to kill Bella now!"

Charlotte's eyes glowed. She growled, pulling out a beautiful dagger. It was sharpened and shined to the max.

"No!" I yelled, but it was too late. Charlotte lunged at Bella.

"No!" Jacob jumped in front of Bella, who looked terrified. Charlotte's dagger caught Jacob directly in the heart. "JACOB!" I screamed as he fell to the ground, bleeding. Jacob's face was contorted in agony. I ran to him. Charlotte looked to be under some type of spell. She jumped over me, raking the knife across Bella's neck.

Bella fell to the ground, choking up her own blood. "No..." she whispered.

Jasper lunged at Maria. He began to fight her. I knew he was taking the spotlight off us so we could try to heal Bella and Jacob and stop Charlotte. But her eyes just glowed darker red. She lunged, still yelling archaically, at Bella. The newborn stabbed Bella repeatedly in the same spot on her gut.

Bella's blood smelled sweet, but there was enough of the vampire scent that I wasn't distracted by it. It was a darker red than human blood, too, looking almost black. I ran over to Bella. She was breathing in short little pants. "I love you, Jacob... I love you, Edward..." she whispered.

Her body went still. She stared up at me with lifeless eyes.

The green light flashed and two beautiful girls stepped free from it. I knew they were Lucy and Nettie, Maria's companions, her sisters. She'd been trying to revive them so they could all take over the north and rule. As I read her mind, I knew I was right. Maria wanted to rule the entire world.

"Oh, hell no," I whispered.

I kissed Jacob quickly. I could see that his wound was already healing. "She's dead?" He said it like a question.

"She's dead." I felt the grief of Bella's death in my soul.

"No..." Jacob's eyes filled with tears.

"I know." I kissed him again and looked up at the battle between Jasper and Maria. Alice had joined in, but it was clear that Maria was winning. She knocked him to the ground. "I tire of these childish games, sisters," Maria said. "Don't you?"

Lucy nodded. "Let us leave this place."

"It was so easy to take the Cullens' standing." Nettie laughed. "Now let us take the rest of the North and rule this place!"

They all laughed, and walked away.

I noticed Alice was very quiet on the ground beside Jasper.

No.

_No._

NO!

I ran over to Alice, Jacob behind me.

NO!

Alice was dead. It was clear. Her head had been removed from her body, as well as her arms and legs. Jasper was sobbing, but no tears escaped his eyes. They couldn't. He was a vampire. He could never cry again.

"Alice..." Jasper moaned.

"No." I glared up at the sky. I felt the rightness of my words before I said them. "Alice. Can. Not. Die. Powers, please. Do not take Jasper's mate from him."

I saw a bright flash of light in Alice's eyes. Jasper connected her body parts, which instantly came back together. But she still lay there with lifeless eyes. All of a sudden she gasped.

"Alice!" Jasper laughed, relieved, and threw his arms around her.

"Alice," I breathed.

I looked over to where Bella's body had been and gasped. It was gone. I heard the singing of gods in my soul. _Your Bella is not yet done with this world,_ they sang. _She is dead for a time, but she will return to you._

"I hope..." I whispered.

Jacob wrapped his arms around me. He turned to face Jasper. "Maria escaped," he said softly.

"I know," Jasper responded. His eyes were hard. "She will pay."

"She's so evil, it's not even funny," Jacob said.

"We'll find her," I said. "Now, let's just check on our family."

We headed back to the clearing. The battle had ended. It looked like everyone was okay. There was a huge fire started. I suddenly remembered Charlotte, and wondered where she had gone.

"We have to stop Maria before she get's too powerful!" Carlisle yelled.

"I know," Jasper said.

"She caused... so much damage..." Rosalie sobbed. I wondered what that was about. I shook my head.

"We will get her." I declared.

"We will!" they yelled. It was more than a promise. It was an oath.

I knew in my heart we'd see Maria again. I knew I'd see Bella again. I thought of her tear-streaked face, her agonized voice calling my name, broken beyond repair. Then she smiled.

"I'll find you..." I whispered into the wind.


	11. Alice's Vision

**11. Alice's Vision.**

**(Jacob's P. O. V.)**

Whatever the darn problem was, I didn't know. Everyone was safe- at least for now. Maria and her two friends were gone. All was calm, all was bright. So why was Edward so worried?

He kept shooting me nervous glances, proving to me that he was indeed nervous and worried.

"Dude, what. The. Hell. Is wrong with you?" I asked. "I mean, are you thinking about Bella? We'll find her, I promise. We'll find Maria, and kick her butt too. We've got this."

He laughed. "I understand that's what you think, Jake, but the problem is that I can't be fine again until Bella's here. I… we're connected in a way I never saw before. Even if I can't be with her, I have to have her near me."

"I know," I sighed. It was so frustrating that he was still connected with Bella. I just felt sorry for her- I had no romantic interest in her. It was just that Edward couldn't let her go, for whatever reason.

"Then you understand." Edward leaned in close, so that his lips were touching mine. We kissed in a desperate need of love and passion.

**(Edward's P. O. V.)**

I kissed Jacob back. I felt broken inside, like my heart had completely shattered as we walked quickly back to the Cullen home. Jacob's touch healed me when words could not.

_Why was I so broken_? The thought was a sharp stab in my gut because I knew exactly why I was broken. It was because Bella, my Bella, was gone, and I had no idea where she was, or if she was even alive.

_That stab wouldn't have killed her._ That thought sent hopeful shivers down my spine because I knew it was true. A knife wouldn't even have penetrated a vampire's skin. Bella was half-human, so obviously she was different. Charlotte had stabbed Bella in the heart, but she hadn't stabbed her that many times. Over and over again- fatal. A couple of stabs- painful, but she could recover.

Jacob and I walked up to my room. He looked at my rack of music and snorted. "It's so outdated I want to cry."

"Sadly, you're right," I said.

My heart was beating fast. Well, metaphorically- I didn't have a heartbeat anymore. I looked over at Jacob and began to speak in excited whispers. "What if we find Bella? What if..."

"Edward." Jacob's voice was so sweet and soft that I looked into his eyes, unable to look away from the immense warmth and love in his unflinching gaze. His shoulders were squared and he looked strong and warrior-like. I sat on the bed, and he sat softly beside me.

"We will find her," he promised me. "I swear on my life. If we don't, I'll allow you to kill me."

My mind was whirring. "But what if..."

"Shh," he whispered, pressing his soft, warm lips to mine. I undid my shirt and laid it next to us, not breaking the kiss. Jacob's muscled arms held me against my grief and fear. He removed my pants and I took off his shirt and his undershirt. We both hesitated, and then dug into each other.

"Are you sure?" I whispered.

"Yes," I murmured. We fell into each other. Jacob's dark touch made fear and anger fade away. We lost ourselves in each other then, and in an air of desire I made love to Jacob until the only two emotions I was feeling were desire and love. Always love.

**(Alice's P. O. V.)**

Alice grimly remembered the moment she'd died. All that Edward and Jacob hadn't seen.

She'd jumped in the fight between Maria and Jasper, trying to save her Jasper, and Maria had used some type of magical powers and separated all her body parts, killing her cleanly and instantly.

She'd stood before a group of seven beautiful vampires. She knew they were vampires because of the graceful, fluid yet still way they stood, the beauty on their faces that was too great to be human. Four of them were male, three female. She knew beyond any doubt that these were the vampire gods.

So there's a different path for us, Alice had realized. She'd known vampires were wrong all along about not having souls, being eternally damned, and being hated. They did have gods who loved them very much. Vampires were not soulless.

That had been a relief to Alice. She'd lived for hundreds of years, thinking that when she did die, she'd pass go and go straight to jail- only go being Heaven and Jail being Hell. But she'd been wrong.

The gods had told Alice that she wasn't dead yet. They'd laughed, mysteriously, with that beautiful twinkle in their eyes. Then she'd awakened in Jasper's arms, confused and momentarily terrified that she would die and leave her soulmate, her everything, behind.

Then she had convinced herself that she wasn't going to die. Yet.

That had been when she'd seen the vision.

Grimly, Alice remembered. She and Jasper had gone up to their room in the Cullen home and talked- talked for hours. Eventually Carlisle, Rosalie, Esme, Jasper, Edward and Emmett had gone off to hunt, leaving Alice and Jacob behind. Alice had seen it then. She'd been in the middle of playfully arguing with Jacob about his dietary habits- the kid was pawing through their refrigerator- when it had come to her.

The vision had been terrifying.

Aro was standing in the middle of a terrible crowd. Maria walked up to him. Caius and Marcus were dead at his feet, and so were Lucy and Nettie. All the Cullens around her accept her and Edward, were dead. Jacob was the only werewolf left. Alice had been forced to join the Volturi, at Edward's side, as Jacob cried. The vision had shifted. A beautiful young male had stepped out, blocking Jacob's way. The male had been tall, graceful, and utterly gorgeous. But he was not a vampire. He was not a werewolf. He was not a human.

He was half-vampire, half-human.

He'd walked over to Edward and told him something. Edward had fallen to his knees. Bella had emerged. Bella looked angry. Suddenly a purple... thing billowed from around her- a shield.

But it only protected the hybrid boy.

As Alice watched, horrified, Bella bent over and kissed the hybrid. The look of complete pain- of complete shock- on Edward's face had been heartbreaking. But Bella seemed to enjoy it. She'd smiled at Edward, whispered, "who's the bad guy now?" and ran over to join Alice at the side of the Volturi.

That had been when Alice snapped out of the vision.

"What the hell did you see?" Jacob's rather harsh words were warm, tempered with understanding.

"I... I saw all of the Cullens besides me and Edward dead. And I joined the Volturi. All the wolves were dead too. Everyone in Forks was dead. After I joined, Bella showed up and kissed some hybrid boy- half-vampire, half-human- which pained Edward to the point he died a little inside. Then she joined them too."

"Bella was bad?" The anger in Jacob's voice was harsh. Hatred washed over his system, and I noticed how tall and muscular he was, his regal stance making him look like an ancient warrior prince.

"Yep." Alice nodded.

"I swear if she's the cause of Edward's death, I will go after her," Jacob snapped.

"But you know my visions are only possibility. They could happen, they could not- based on what someone decides. Bella looked like the one who'd decided. I have no idea where she is, but I know one thing: she's still alive."

Jacob's face mashed into pain. Even if he didn't want to admit it to himself, he didn't want Bella alive. He wanted Bella gone from his life. She could see that as plainly as day.

"We need to find her," he said through gritted teeth. "Now."

**(Bella's P. O. V.)**

I awakened to a charming birdsong, the death that I'd experienced so many hours behind me that I didn't care. But panic entered my system as I sat up and realized: _I don't know where the hell I am._

"Edward?" His name was almost instant. Edward would protect me.

"I do not know whom this Edward is, but I may help you find him."

His voice was beautiful. It sent shivers of desire down my spine- and a small stab of glee that for once, that desire wasn't for Edward. I turned around slowly to see a tall, beautiful bronze-skinned boy. His hair was as dark as his magical eyes, which I found myself getting lost in. His hair was long- not long enough to be mistaken for feminine hair, but long like down to his chin. His body was muscular and structured, and I knew that if I removed his shirt I'd see at least an eight-pack.

"Who are you?" My voice was barely audible, because I could barely fight back the desire I had for him.

"I believe you may know me. You are a vampire hybrid, yes?"

I nodded.

"Well, I am one too. My name..." He grinned, the sexy smile showing me all his perfect teeth. "Is Nahuel."

...

Didn't see that one coming, did you! Remember Nahuel? He's the hybrid from *Breaking Dawn.* Gotta read the next chapter to find out why he's in the U.S., and what will happen next.

XOXO,

Casey


	12. The New Girl

_(Nahuel's P. O. V.)_

He was mesmerized.

The beauty of the girl before him was breathtaking. Her dark, chocolate brown eyes (which were tinted with red), her brown hair, her red lips, her long eyelashes… everything was beautiful about her. Nahuel smelled her blood mixed with vampire blood and knew beyond any doubt that the girl in front of him was a hybrid.

He'd thought he was among the only ones to exist. He instantly knew she was who he wanted to be with. Their future seemed to stretch out before him. He smiled that sexy smile that got girls each time. She was what he'd been living for all along.

He tried not to focus on her beauty, however, and continued to talk to her. "So, you come from Forks." He sniffed the air. "You smell of… death."

"It seemed that I died, but I woke up as this." She pointed to herself. "And it's not polite to say someone smells like death."

"I am sorry," Nahuel said, still smiling.

"I'm Bella, by the way." She smiled too. "I didn't think I'd told you my name."

"You did not."

"Yeah." Suddenly she seemed uneasy. "Where were you headed?"

"To Forks. Something… something was calling me there. I believe Forks is the next place I will live."

Bella's eyes widened as if in shock- or irritation? "Nahuel, you're moving to Forks? I don't know about that. The only vampires within the radius are the Cullens…" The name came through her mouth as if it was painful to say it.

"I know of the Cullens. They are a well known coven."

"Yep." Bella looked away from him. It was clear that she was in pain, though it did not look as though he was the cause. Her heart thumped uneasily against her chest. "I… I was trying to find them. I've been lost in these woods for a while. I'm not-"

Bella's words stopped instantly. Her chin rose, and her body seemed to tense up as though someone was nearby. Nahuel's body reacted more quickly than his mind, and he was in a crouch, growling and snarling. And then the scent snapped across his throat like a hot branding iron, and his lip curled back over his teeth.

There was a human nearby.

Bella looked at him. Her eyes were glazed over with thirst. She nodded in the direction of the scent. Nahuel nodded too, and followed her over to where the human was standing, looking at where a creek was flowing lazily into a larger creek. They were close to Forks.

Nahuel swallowed. Oh. The scent was so painful it took everything in him not to attack the human instantly.

But Bella did.

She lunged for the human. His eyes widened at her incomparable beauty. But she wasn't smiling. She was snarling. She instantly went for his throat. She sipped the crimson so quickly it didn't seem possible. The human was drained dry in seconds.

"Wow," Nahuel said.

"I haven't had a… drink in about a week."

Nahuel was thirsty, too, but he didn't say anything. He simply walked from the small forest down the path to in front of a house. He smelled a peculiar scent.

Bella.

No. It wasn't Bella, but it was someone from her bloodline. He turned back to her, and by the shock in her eyes, he knew she was right.

"This is my dad's house," she said quietly. "He thinks I'm dead."

Suddenly a police cruiser drove down the road, toward the house. It sped up as the driver locked eyes with Bella. The man looked like her. Or, she looked like him. He got out of the car and stared at her in disbelief. His face turned purple, red, green, and back to purple.

He was in shock.

"B… Bella?" he squeaked.

"Come with me in the house, Dad," she said, looking at Nahuel. "We have a lot to talk about."

_(Sasha's P. O. V.)_

"This little house is beautiful! Isn't it?"

Sasha took the headphones out of her ear. She'd been listening to her iPod and had barely heard a word her mother had said. "Yes, it is," she said as she stared at the cute green house.

They were moving to a different part of La Push. For some reason, her dad had wanted to live closer to Forks. Sasha couldn't understand for the life of her why, but it had been urgent to her.

A man in a wheelchair rolled out of the red house next door. He had a strong, chiseled face and long, dark hair. "Hello," he said, a big smile on his face. "You must be the Earnshaws."

"We are," her dad said. She wondered if she was the only one to notice the silent exchange that passed between them.

"I'm Billy Black," the man said, wheeling over to shake Dad's hand. The man's dark eyes were guarded, as though he were hiding something. Suddenly Sasha felt a spasm of pain, so sharp she cried out. But it was gone as quickly as it had come. Her sister, Amber, looked at her like WTF?

But her dad's look was one of worry- and clear understanding. "It's happening," he mouthed. Suddenly Sasha felt very hot. She fanned herself.

Billy nodded his head almost inconspicuously. "Best of luck to you," he mouthed.

What the hell?

_(Jacob's P. O. V.)_

"We haven't been out in a week," I said, frowning. "We should go out somewhere, Edward. You shouldn't be so ashamed that we're dating."

He shook his beautiful head, grinning that crooked smile that I loved so much. "Where do you want to go? Speak the word and I'll take you there. And I'm not ashamed that we're dating. Jacob… you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." I saw the flash of pain in his expressive eyes and knew that that was hard for him to say.

But it was true.

"Let's go…" I paused, considering. And then the idea came to me like a bolt of lightning. I smiled and sat up in Edward's bed. "Let's go to the movies. We've only been once, and I want to go see the new Underworld movie. I want to see how Hollywood portrays vampires and werewolves."

Edward laughed and sat up to kiss me. I caressed the chiseled make of his perfectly polished chest, marveling once again, as I had often since officially hooking up with Edward, that I didn't deserve this godlike creature.

But I had him.

He was mine.

All mine.

…

We went out at about eight. The night was slowly beginning to quiet down. A steady drizzle was falling from the clouds, but it wasn't enough to annoy me. We made it to the movies at about eight fifteen. The movie was just starting as we slipped quietly into the theater, after a playful argument about the carbs in white cheddar popcorn seasoning (long story).

The movie went by quickly, and was actually pretty good. The vampires in Underworld were nothing like real vampires, and the werewolves in Underworld weren't even called werewolves. They were "Lycans". I suppressed an angry groan every time they said the word "Lycan". Other than that the story was very good, and I enjoyed myself. Edward would always chuckle at the vampire parts, which was actually kind of funny, considering how he was a vampire himself.

We exited the theater two hours after the movie ended, because I wanted to see another one, and of course Edward agreed- he'd let me do what I wanted.

"Don't think you can get away with murder, Jacob," Edward warned. I snorted. Okay, Edward was the subject of my imprint, and we were soul mates and all, but I hated it when he read my mind. It was so irritating.

Edward chuckled.

Jeez, how could anyone stand living with him? I rolled my eyes.

Now his chuckle was a full-on laugh. I cracked a smile too. "I guess my head is freaking Comedy Central," I said doggedly as we got into Edward's Volvo.

He shook his head, still laughing. "What makes them so funny is that they're true." He grinned and bent to kiss me. I was laughing and relaxing into his arms when all of a sudden, we heard a scream.

From the woods.

A human scream.

A girl.

And I'd know the sound of that voice anywhere. I'd heard it so many times, it was burned deeply into my soul.

We ran off into the woods, in the direction her screams were coming from.

Leah's screams.

_So what do you think's wrong with Sasha and Leah? Review and tell me!_

_XOXO,_

_Casey_


	13. Italian Killers

**13.**

**Italian Killers.**

_(Edward's P. O. V.)_

We ran toward the shrill sound of the female werewolf screaming. She'd just turned into a werewolf, so it made sense she was having it hard, but this didn't sound like pain. It sounded like terrible fear. What the hell was happening to her?

We entered the woods just before La Push. Leah was sitting on the ground, howling in werewolf form. A vampire was standing over her. The vampire was tall. His skin was the smooth, polished color of teak, and his deep red eyes, though I'd seen the color many times, sent a chill down my spine. His body was tall and muscular. He looked like a newborn. He was curling his lip back over his teeth, growling at Leah.

He was going to kill her.

My first thought was to throw the vampire away from her. With him off, Leah got her strength back. She briefly growled at me, but when she saw that Jacob was with me and that all I wanted was to help her, her growl was directed at the newborn. He looked at me and smiled. "I was created by Maria," he said. The name sent a jerk through my body. I stared at him in shock. "She sent me here to raise your awareness that she is coming for Jasper and Alice. She has notified the Volturi of your relations with the wolf. They are not coming, but they are angered with you and would like to see you. And the wolf." The vampire paused, baring his teeth at Jacob. "Carlisle may accompany you. You have to go in a week."

Fear hit me hard. I'd never dreamed I'd see the Volturi again, especially after I'd broken up with Bella. I suddenly had the fierce urge to go to her, to comfort her. Protect her. She was going nowhere near the Volturi. I growled at the newborn. Jacob wasn't either. I hadn't known there was a rule against a vampire and werewolf being together, and Aro knew there wasn't.

He wanted an excuse to either kill us, or get him on his side.

I let myself fly at the newborn, tearing his head off before he could even scream. I set his dismembered body on fire. The flames licked across the trees, but they were so moist that it went out instantly, barely having time to start.

"The Volturi?" Jacob's voice was all hissy. "Those Italian killers? We didn't do anything. Why do we have to go to them?"

"Aro wants us," I whispered, hearing the sound of utter desperation in my voice. "We have to go."

Jacob looked into my eyes and saw the grief. He nodded and walked back to the car with me.

Something was telling me that I wouldn't make it back from Volterra alive.

_(Bella's P. O. V.)_

"D... Dad?" I whispered, shocked. I couldn't believe I'd been so stupid- to hunt, so close to Charlie's house. Why would I put him in danger? I couldn't believe myself. Disgust hit me hard. Then longing for Charlie's blood. The temptation to drink from him wasn't as great as it had been for the human on the trail. Maybe my longing was gone. I'd already fed.

"Bella?" Charlie's eyes were so wide it looked as if they'd explode from his face. "Bella? How- how the hell are you ALIVE? I thought you were dead!" He threw his arms around me and I could see the grief fade from his eyes. But I could feel the tenseness in his body and the wariness in his eyes was plain for anyone to see.

"It's me," I said softly. "It did seem that I died, but I woke up as... this." I pointed to myself. "I'm... I'm not human anymore, Dad." I couldn't tell him. I didn't want the Volturi... but then... I wasn't with Edward anymore. Why would the Volturi find out?

"I woke up as a half-vampire."

...

We were sitting in the living room on the couch. I'd explained to Charlie the whole deal about Edward's family, about how Jacob was a werewolf- that wasn't that much of a secret. His reaction was surprising, actually. He was... intrigued. "So vampires do exist?" He didn't seem afraid of me in the slightest.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "And I'm one of them. Well, partially anyway."

"I found her in the forest, sir," Nahuel said. "I'll take good care of her." He was smiling that handsome, boyish smile that made him look so cute my heart felt as if it would burst free from my chest.

"You better," Charlie grumbled. "I'm pretty pissed at Edward and Jacob now. And they were both gay, or bisexual or whatever they said, the whole time."

I laughed. Edward didn't seem like the type to be gay, but maybe that had just been me. "Yep."

"I hope you do my Bella good," Charlie said firmly.

Nahuel looked surprised. "Bella and I aren't..."

"But if you do. I'd like you to take care of her," Charlie insisted.

Nahuel grinned. "Sure, sir."

"I've got to go, Dad," I said. "I can't stay here. I have to go back to the Cullens, let them know I'm alive. But I'm glad you're part of the loop."

He grinned. "Seeya, Bells."

_(Sasha's P. O. V.)_

Sasha cried out as the immense pain ripped through her. It felt like something was trying to rip through her soul, to shine through on the outside. This pain had been going on for about a week now. She hadn't grown strong enough to bear it, nor had it lessened one bit. She screamed again as the pain cut through her head, sending chills down her body.

Sasha's father smiled. "It's time," he said.

Time? Time for what? Sasha wanted to scream at Dad to shut the hell up, but she was in too much pain. Suddenly a calm voice sounded in her head. "Be calm!" the voice- a male's voice, deep and rough- commanded.

The wisdom and beauty of the man's voice made Sasha shut up instantly. She tried not to think about why the pain was getting greater. Had Dad meant it was time for her to die? Surely he hadn't. Why would he smile at something like that?

Sasha couldn't help but scream again as the fire ripped through her. "Kill me!" she yelled at her dad. "Please, please, Dad. Kill me."

Her dad shook his head and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Sash, but it'll all be over soon."

She found the strength to say, "What'll all be over soon, Dad? My life? This pain?" She couldn't talk anymore as another roar of fire devoured her insides. "Ahhhhh!" The fire was growing hotter and hotter. "AHHHHHHHH!"

And suddenly everything stopped.

Sasha blinked, and she found that her blink changed her vision. Everything was clearer now, as if she'd had blinders that had suddenly been removed. She felt… bigger… faster… stronger. Her heart was beating a little faster, too. Her dad touched her face, and she was surprised that she felt almost nothing- no warmth, no chill- on his skin.

"It's done," he said.

She was opening her mouth to ask him what was done, exactly, when her body began to shiver. She couldn't control the terrible anger that was moving through her. Her body was shivering rapidly, and she was growling.

"Go, Sash! Go!" Her dad pushed her out of the door just in time for her body to explode. Everything she knew- normal legs, feet, arms, chest- was gone. Now she was in the dark brown body of a wolf.

She howled at the top of her lungs. What was happening? Was she crazy? She had to be crazy. There was no other explanation for this.

"No, no, no," she thought.

"It may seem like you're crazy, but this is real," someone said.

Sasha snarled, spinning around. No one was there.

"Who…"

"I'm Sam, Sam Uley," the voice said. "I'm not physically there with you- I'm in your head. That's a gift all us werewolves have."

"Werewo…" Sasha couldn't believe it. That was what she was? A werewolf? Werewolves existed? She certainly didn't deny it; just one glance down at her new body was proof enough.

Suddenly a really, really white-skinned man walked from the trees in front of Sasha's house. The man was gorgeous- literally. He had dark hair and red eyes. He smiled when he saw her. "Do me a favor and phase back."

Sasha's natural instinct was to growl. The growl ripped through her teeth, making her body vibrate with energy, but all the man did was laugh. "Phase back, Sasha."

Who the hell was this guy, and how did he know her name? Her confusion seemed to make the werewolf body fade away, and suddenly she was standing on two legs… two feet… "Who are you?" she yelled at him. "You're not supposed to be here. I can feel that."

"I am Demetri, and I can be wherever I please," the man laughed. "I am a member of the Volturi's guard."

The name Volturi made her shiver. "What are you doing here?"

"I am here for you, my dear Sasha," Demetri laughed and shook his head. He licked his lips before charging at her. Before Sasha could react, Demetri sank his incredibly hard teeth into her neck. He cringed a bit but continued to do whatever he was doing. And suddenly he pulled them out of her.

The pain was back.

Only now, Sasha knew the difference between the old pain and this new one. The new pain was more like a hurricane of fire than a single flame; it felt twice as worse. At first, she simply fell to her knees.

It felt like she was dying.

It felt like her soul was coming undone.

It felt like everything she was was fading.

"Kill me, please!" Sasha sobbed as the pain spread from her neck to her brain. "PLEASE!"

Demetri grinned, shaking his head. "You're too valuable. Aro wants to add you to the Volturi's collection. You're the first of their kind who's blood can turn. You can become a hybrid, and your children can be the ruling class of the New World Maria shall lead."

"Who.. who is Maria?" she cried.

Demetri got closer to her. "Caius's new mate. Your new queen. By the time she makes it to Italy, the world is hers." She heard Demetri laugh once more before her world shattered, and everything went black.

_(Edward's P. O. V.)_

The whole night before, I'd thought about what the newborn had said. The Volturi? I hadn't expected to deal with them again, but it looked as if once again, I was going to the most dangerous place in the vampire world- Volterra.

Jacob had spent the night at my house. With me in his arms, the terror hadn't seemed quite so terrifying. But it had still been there- that fear- that terror that I would go to Volterra and not return.

The next day, I heard a knock on the door. I was surprised that I hadn't heard the visitor walking. I opened the door.

My breath caught in my throat.

She looked almost exactly the same as she had the last time I'd seen her, before the battle. She'd changed- she looked strikingly beautiful now- but nothing major. Her full lips were lifted in a smile. Her alabaster skin glistened dimly in the light of the dawn. The boy next to her looked to be about my age (my age in looks). He was tall. His skin was the color of polished teak, and he was very handsome.

"Bella!" I threw my arms around her, not caring that I was stronger than her. I was just immensely glad she was alive. Suddenly I realized that the strange longing I'd felt for her after her "death" was completely gone. Did I not like Bella?

No.

I mean, I still wanted her to stay with us- I still liked her as a friend. But the attraction I'd felt for her was gone. No, it wasn't gone. It had simply moved to another person, another subject.

Jacob.

"Hi, Edward," she said, laughing uneasily. "This is Nahuel. We need to tell you guys about what happened."

"Hi, Bells!" Jacob smiled widely.

"Hey, Jake." She grinned at him.

"Um, sure, Bella," I said. "I'm sure Carlisle wouldn't mind." I felt him behind me and heard his thoughts, Not at all, Edward.

"Come on in."

They did. Bella told me and the rest of the family (beside Emmett and Rose; they were out hunting) what had happened- how she'd waken up in the forest, how she'd wandered the woods till Nahuel found her, and how they'd told Charlie she was a hybrid.

"You told Charlie?" Alice snapped. "Do you know how much danger he's going to be in now, Bella?"

"It was stupid, I know, but it's not like the Volturi will find out. They'll think I'm dead when someone goes to Volterra and lets them know." Bella shrugged.

"Did you forget that Aro can read minds? And now, he'll know if we're lying? He'll know you told Charlie?"

"But it's not like you're going to them, are you?" Bella snapped.

"Actually, we are. Edward is. Aro called him. He's leaving in two days, Bella," Jasper said quietly.

"Well, just don't think about that!"

"It's not that simple, Bella," I said gently. "Aro can see everything you've ever known, seen, heard, with one touch."

Dead silence then. Bella looked horrified. "I… If I would've known…"

"It's okay, Bella. I'm sure you didn't know," Esme said. "But you do understand what this means, right?"

"No. What?"

"If the Volturi find out that you're still alive, and that you told Charlie you were half-human, Aro will want to see you, too. And as for Charlie…" Carlisle paused.

"What?" Bella snapped.

"They'll either ask us to change him…" Bella tensed. This was a touchy subject. But it was nothing compared to the deathblow Carlisle was about to deliver. Literally. He had to tell her this- he couldn't spare her feelings in the slightest.

"Or kill him."


	14. The King's Rebellion

**14.**

**The King's Rebellion**

_(Jacob's P. O. V.)_

It was time.

We were going to Volterra. Today. I couldn't breathe. It seemed like the little piece of happiness we'd had had evaporated. We still didn't know where Maria and her crew were, and it seemed we were going to have to either join the Volturi or die.

I smiled up at the movie theater. It was a place of happiness, mine and Edward's. Too bad this was the last we'd see it. Sadness gripped me like a vice, and it wouldn't let go.

We got on a plane the next day. Edward had insisted we run, but Carlisle thought it would be easier for Bella and I if we took a plane, so we did, all of us. It was heartbreakingly beautiful in a way. Some of us were vampires, some half-human, some werewolves. Leah wanted to accompany us- she wanted to see if the vampire who'd attacked her was there, so she could kill him- but I talked her out of it.

There was no point in her dying, too.

When we got on the plane, my view was magnetized by Edward's face. It was as if my brain was trying to memorize his face, so that I could keep it with me as I departed the world. I didn't want to. I wanted to shut him out, forever. It was only more painful, the token of him my brain couldn't erase.

Horse tears spilled from my eyes the entire plane ride. Edward kept kissing me, reassuring me, but I knew everything wasn't going to be alright. Carlisle'd told us all how the Volturi worked.

There would be no survivors.

We walked into the crowded, busy city of Volterra when the plane landed. It was almost as if pain was twisting through my soul. My arm was around Edward's waist the entire agonizing walk through the city. Bella and Nahuel were together, but Nahuel didn't look scared- he looked excited. Carlisle and Esme were staring at each other as they walked, barely keeping the sadness from their eyes. Rosalie and Emmett weren't looking at each other. Rosalie looked like she could cry if tears could escape her eyes. Jasper and Alice were as close as two people could be, their faces touching, as if touch could make what was going to happen go away.

There was a vampire waiting for us at the door. I knew he was a vampire because of the red eyes he had. His skin was as pale as Edward's, and his hair dark as Emmett's. "I'm Demitri," the vampire said to me. He smiled slightly. "I will lead you to the chamber."

Edward chuckled lightly as we walked. I looked at him in disbelief. "That's the room where they take people to die." He was fighting to keep his voice calm, but I could hear the burning anger- the rage- in his voice. And suddenly I saw it in his eyes. He cared nothing for his own life, but would do anything to save mine.

Edward was in love with me.

The stunning realization of it buckled through my knees and I almost tripped as we walked. The double imprint twisted across my soul. Oh, my version of it was different, sure. But Edward's version was just as strong. Absolute.

Edward was my soul mate.

My match made in heaven. The one sent from whatever god or goddess who was watching. The one who was utterly right for me, shaped exactly, like two puzzle pieces that went into each other. Edward was me and I was Edward.

It was too bad I realized that right before we went to die.

The Volturi were exactly as they'd looked in the picture Carlisle had shown me in his study. They didn't look like brothers, though that was what they called themselves. The regal looks in their eyes were terrifying alone. One had dark hair. Another had long, snowy white hair. Another had dark hair as well, but his hair was shorter and lighter than the first one I'd seen. Aro, Caius, Marcus. The Volturi's leaders. Two sat beside their thrones- a blond girl who was petite and cute enough to be in middle school, though her red eyes told a different story, and a dark haired boy. They did look related. Alec…. and Jane?

Edward nodded slightly, no doubt answering my thought.

"Ahh! Bella still lives!" the one I thought was called Aro chirped. Yep. This was Aro. "That is… wonderful."

Edward raised an eyebrow. I wondered what the Italian killer was thinking.

Caius's lips lifted in a smile. The cold fire in his eyes was much greater than Marcus's. That was one thing Aro and Caius shared- the sense of… evil about them, even though Caius seemed to be much more out with it than Aro. "She does."

"So. What has happened?" Aro was suddenly staring at me with an intensity that made me cringe. When I looked away, he growled. "Jane?" I looked back at him. He was grinning fiercely.

"No!" Edward and Bella shouted at the same time. Edward jumped in front of me, as though to block me from something. But that didn't matter.

The pain was so excruciating I fell to my knees. It didn't have a source- it wasn't coming from anywhere. Just… agony. I twitched on the floor, sobbing Edward's name. "Please… Edward… Help me!"

Suddenly the pain vanished as quickly as it had come. I sat up almost instantly. Jane was looking at Edward now. And he was on the ground.

"_PLEASE!"_ I wailed. "Stop hurting him!"

For some reason Jane looked at me. Edward let out a sigh of relief. I'd saved his life, and she hadn't turned her weird mojo on me. Great.

"Okay," Edward said through his teeth. He extended his hand to Aro. "See."

Aro clasped his hand and paused for a moment. After a while, he dropped Edward's hand and smiled. "I see. Well, since you have revealed vampires to a human, Bella, you either change him or die. And as for the werewolf…" Aro looked at me. "Death for him as well."

"What?" Edward said angrily. "He's done nothing wrong! There is no law against-"

"Shh," Aro said gently. His smile turned into a grin. "Bring her out, please," he told Alec. He nodded and walked to the back. A few seconds later he walked back in… with a familiar woman behind him. Oh, no. I heard Jasper and Alice's gasps.

Maria.

_(Edward's P. O. V.)_

I stared straight at her, my eyes wide at the sight of her face. Her beauty was so luminous that it was almost like all the light in the room centered on her.

"Maria," Jasper said stiffly, his eyes seething with anger. "Hello."

"Hello, Jasper," she said politely, curtsying to him. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he said through his teeth. "The question is: how are you?"

"Oh, I'm wonderful, Jasper," she said, laughing so evilly that even Jacob stiffened beside me. "I am beautifully blissful. And when I'm done with you, I'll be even happier."

"This chick is crazy," Jake muttered to me under his breath.

"Couldn't get any crazier," I replied in the same low mutter.

"Back to the matter," Aro snapped, running a hand through his hair. Actually, it wasn't a snap. It was more like a sinister sneer that turned into a grin. He was happy about something. What was it?

"I do not think you should kill them." Marcus's words surprised me. "Leave the Cullens be, Aro. You have meddled with their family for far too long simply because you want power for the Volturi." My teeth snapped together, but the gasp still escaped my lips. I'd known that all along, but to hear it confirmed aloud was the world.

Aro snapped his eyes to Marcus's. "Do not speak of that!" he hissed, his voice so venomous and hazardous that we all jumped back.

"Enough of this business. Do they die or not?" Caius snapped.

Aro settled back in his chair. "I guess you are right. That would be the matter at hand. I vote... yes." He looked down at the floor, looking more unnerved and uneasy that I'd ever seen him. This wasn't a strategy he'd anticipated.

"I vote yes as well," Caius growled. "And Marcus?"

Marcus stared at us. The usual boredom was in his eyes, but there was a sparkle of something in them that I had never seen before. Suddenly his thoughts were in my head, and I knew he was specifically speaking to me, knowing I could hear it: _Edward, Aro and Caius will stop at nothing to destroy you. When I vote no, they will be emphatically irritated. Run as far as you can. Do not stop. They will kill all of your friends, just for having come in contact with you._

"No," Marcus said.

Caius and Aro growled, twin growls, echoed by Maria's harsh snarl. But still Aro smiled at us. "You would do well never to return to Volterra or Italy for that matter, unless we call you here." I shuddered with the power of the barely concealed threat.

"Goodbye, my young friends," Aro chorused as we were ushered out of the room, Bella close behind. As soon as the Volturi chamber door closed, we started to run. Fast. I hadn't said anything about Marcus's warning, but the others must have felt my discontent.

We ran until we reached the airport, a full 2 towns away, and came to a stop, not even out of breath. Jacob was holding my hand. The rest of my family looked totally pissed.

"What the hell was that?" Emmett demanded.

"I don't know why we came here for that," Carlisle growled. "There was no point..." He looked infuriated.

"Where's the justice?" Bella muttered. She was acting so 'whatever' about this, but I could see the fear in her eyes. It reminded me of dark lust and sexy dreams. I looked away from her.

"Let's just go home before they catch up to us," Esme cried. That shut everyone up, because she was right, of course. With urgency and immense irritation, we left the city.

The plane ride home was silent and full of uncertainty. None of us were sure why Marcus had reacted the way he had, but we knew the Volturi wouldn't just leave us be- they'd want to kill us for the crime we'd committed. No vampire had ever successfully escaped them. So why had Marcus let us live?

In all the years I'd known Marcus, he'd been... bored. He'd never seemed to want to have much to do with vampire politics, and had always stayed to himself, not having much to do with his brothers and going along with whatever they wanted to. But since the vampire had met the Cullens, I'd picked up a different aura from him, an aura that was almost rebellious. He liked us, liked our fire. But could he actually betray our brothers for us?

When we got home, Carlisle, Emmett, Esme, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper instantly started planning strategies for what we would do if- _when- _the Volturi came for us. Alice said they'd already made the decision, she just wasn't sure _when _they would come, but in the vision she had, it appeared that there was snow on the ground, and the fall had just started, so I knew it had to be only a few months from now. I didn't absorb myself in the planning, going straight up to my room. Reluctantly, Jacob followed me.

When we got up to my room, I sat down on the bed I'd bought, staring out the window. The sky blended nicely with the setting sun, making the perfect image of the day's end. I, however, was not convinced.

"Edward." The soft, seductive tone of Jake's voice instantly made me turn and look at him. He was sitting down on the bed beside me, and the shirt he was wearing was tight and white and showing a lot of muscle. I could hardly breathe.

"Yes?" I whispered.

He leaned forward, his woodsy odor masking mine, and for once it didn't smell as repulsive as usual. Maybe it was because I was getting used to it. He kissed me quickly, and of course, an electricity ran along my seemingly stone body. I struggled to catch my breath when we finally parted.

"I love you," he whispered back. "I don't care what the Volturi do. I don't care about anything. All I care about is you. Nothing else matters."

And in that moment, I could see the world the way Jake was looking at it, and it all made perfect sense. I saw myself kissing him, slowly at first, and then growing more fierce. I saw myself removing his T-shirt and his pants and climbing on top of him, all but welding myself to him. I saw myself making love to Jacob Black, and knowing in that moment that there was nothing more that I would want besides him. Even Bella.

And then I started where the vision had begun.

_(Marcus's P.O.V)_

Marcus stared at the wall before him. He was trying to appear bored and careless as usual, but the truth was his mind was racing. His wife had been killed several millennia ago, but he'd never known her killer. Ever.

But if Demitri was right, could Aro have really been his wife's killer?

He bit his smooth, polished lip and tried not to think. Now that he knew, Aro, if he ever checked his brother's thoughts, would know he knew. And certainly that would cause tension between he and his brother. But he didn't care. A _brother _would not have killed another brother's wife. A _brother _would not have done anything to harm their brother, whether the thing that was harmful to them was right or rational or not.

Marcus scowled, his face showing emotion for the first time in centuries, as he rose from the throne. Caius and Aro turned to look at him questioningly. "Where are you going, brother?" Aro asked innocently.

"To mind myself," Marcus growled. With a speed he hadn't used in centuries, he turned and ran out of the palace, up and through the tunnels to the city. The calm air of Volterra warmed him. He remembered how he used to watch the sunset with her... Didyme... His wife... It pained him to even think her name.

If it was true that Aro had killed Didyme, he would break from his brother. He might even break from the Volturi. And he would use everything he had to destroy him for what he'd done to her.

Marcus smiled.

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	15. Not a Chapter- Profile

Hey, guys, go read my profile now. I have some big news for you. Read it please.

Happy reading!

XOXO,

Casey


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